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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26871532">I've got clean away but I'll be back some day</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hpdm4ever/pseuds/hpdm4ever'>hpdm4ever</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hpdm4ever/pseuds/MessiFangirl'>MessiFangirl (hpdm4ever)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Men's Football RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bank Tellers, Alternate Universe - Criminals, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Assault, Attempted Sexual Assault, Bank Robbery, Contact - Freeform, Cressi, CressiDay2k20, Detectives, El Clásico, FC Barcelona, Football | Soccer, Friendship, Guns, Hospitals, Injury Recovery, M/M, Masks, Minor Violence, Real Madrid CF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:22:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>28,207</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26871532</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hpdm4ever/pseuds/hpdm4ever, https://archiveofourown.org/users/hpdm4ever/pseuds/MessiFangirl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's like something out of a movie. Something he never thought would happen in this sleepy little town.</p><p>"I'm going to need to take a step back away from the window," the masked man says calmly, carefully sliding a gun onto the counter with a gloved hand. The scraping noise that the gun makes is something Leo is going to remember for the rest of his life. It's not pointing at Leo, rather to the side, but that doesn't make the action any less threatening. "And then I'm going to need you to raise your hands on top of your head, okay?" the man continues as if they're just having a normal conversation.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lionel Messi/Cristiano Ronaldo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>84</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Cressi Day 2k20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/yulin/gifts">yulin</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I started this fic in 2016. </p><p>I'm between feeling stunned at the amazement of finishing it and the ridiculousness that it took this long. I think I wrote about 7k a year for the last 4 years, on and off going back to it. Don't ask me why.</p><p>Hope you enjoy tho!</p><p>Kinda goes with the Contact prompt.</p><p>Also! There is a bad guy--Perez--who is meant to be Florentino Perez and not any actual real Madrid player who coincidentally has the name.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Hey there, darlin'. Can you do me a favor?"</p>
<p>Leo mutters, "Just a second, sir," and quickly locks his lower drawer with the key he wears on a stretchy bracelet around his wrist. He’d been distracted with filling out forms and hadn’t locked up correctly after the last customer. He does it without another word, hoping Geri isn’t watching. Then he takes a deep breath and braces himself for a new customer, as usual utterly tired of interacting with people.</p>
<p>But a job’s a job.</p>
<p>“Sorry about that," Leo says, nudging a few deposit slips to the side until the counter in front of him is clear. He’s usually pretty good about keeping his station tidy, but he’s not sure what’s wrong with him today. Truthfully, he hadn’t slept well the night before and wasn’t happy that he’d had to fill in for Javier on what would have been his day off. But that’s beside the point, and once he's finished, he plasters a smile on his face. "What can I do for you...?" he starts to ask, finally looking up.</p>
<p>The words get stuck in his throat as he looks up into the most beautiful eyes he's ever seen.</p>
<p>It's just a shame that the rest of the face is covered by a black ski mask.</p>
<p>Leo goes still.</p>
<p>It's like something out of a movie. Something he never thought would happen in this sleepy little town.</p>
<p>"I'm going to need to take a step back away from the window," the masked man says calmly, carefully sliding a gun onto the counter with a gloved hand. The scraping noise that the gun makes is something Leo is going to remember for the rest of his life. It's not pointing at Leo, rather to the side, but that doesn't make the action any less threatening. "And then I'm going to need you to raise your hands on top of your head, okay?" the man continues as if they're just having a normal conversation.</p>
<p>Leo takes a shuddering breath and then another, panicking silently. As his eyes flick to the small, red emergency button underneath the counter, he becomes aware of how quiet it's become around them. He should have noticed something was wrong, should have been more alert... How had he missed the man entering the bank?</p>
<p>The problem is that it had already been sort of quiet as the steady stream of their usual customers slowly became a trickle. It had been normal, not out of the ordinary. Their bank was really just a small branch, with most of their clients preferring to do their work online these days. For the few local business owners who came in person, daily deposits had been made, and since it was Friday, weekly paychecks had been cashed out by nearby residents. With closing time rapidly approaching, the noise had died down considerably.</p>
<p>And now Leo can't hear anything inside the bank except for the beating of his heart.</p>
<p>"I need you to focus on my voice and listen to me, okay?" the man says, startling Leo and leaning into his space over the open window. "All you need to do is step back and put your hands up. Nobody will get hurt if you just do as we say." He doesn't move the gun but simply looks down to where Leo's hand is inching towards the edge of the counter. He knows what Leo's doing. He must. "But you press that button and I can't guarantee that. My companions aren't as nice as I am."</p>
<p>Leo curls his hand into a fist, fingernails digging into his skin so hard that they're going to draw blood. The man can’t possibly see the button, but it’s clear that he knows what the usual training is for a bank employee in a situation like this.</p>
<p>Out of the corner of his eye and to the right, Leo can see that Neymar has backed away from his window and is holding his hands up, trembling, while someone wearing a mask points a gun at his forehead. And on Leo's left, Luis has backed away too, muttering something angrily under his breath at the man who's talking to him in low tones and jabbing a gun into his gut. Beside them, Dani's already been kicked to his knees by another man, having apparently not followed directions quickly enough.</p>
<p>Leo swallows, eyes darting to the emergency button one more time. He remembers the instructional videos, remembers all the literature about what they’re supposed to do in this situation, and knows all he has to do is push that button. That's all he has to do.</p>
<p>Push it and the police will come.</p>
<p>The robbers will be arrested.</p>
<p>But then yet another masked man appears, leading Geri by the elbow. Geri looks toward Leo and the others helplessly, before the two disappear into the back room. Leo closes his eyes, knowing that he has to make a decision. He takes a deep breath, trying not to shudder, and then he opens them again.</p>
<p>And then he slowly raises his hands and takes a few steps back.</p>
<p>He's unwilling to be responsible for his friends getting hurt.</p>
<p>The man with the gun nods, satisfied, suddenly launching himself over the counter. He's even more intimidating up close. Like the others, he's dressed entirely in black and wearing combat boots. "Thank you, darlin'," he says, towering over Leo. He tucks his gun into a holster under his arm and then presses his palm against Leo's stomach. "Back up a bit more, now," he says gruffly, softly guiding Leo back away from the counter until there isn't anywhere else for him to go.</p>
<p>His hand stays against Leo, holding him against the wall.</p>
<p>Leo sucks in a breath, startled, somehow feeling the heat of those fingers through the glove and his thin dress shirt. He’s not used to people being this close to him, and even less used to people touching him like this. "What do you want?" he asks shakily, trying to be braver than he feels, tipping his head up to meet the other's eyes. "Why are you doing this?"</p>
<p>And Leo can't see it, but he knows the other man smiles.</p>
<p>Leo’s terrified.</p>
<p>"Why does anyone rob a bank?" the man replies, finally dropping his hand from Leo and shrugging. He takes Leo's key from his wrist and then tosses it back onto the counter behind him. Then he looks over at his companions. "Benz! Phones," he orders, pointing at Neymar, Luis, and Dani. Then he looks back down at Leo. "Please, give me your phone," he says, holding out his hand and speaking in a voice that's clearly used to being obeyed.</p>
<p>Leo blinks up at him and tries not to pass out. He focuses on breathing in and out slowly. "It--it's in my locker. We're not supposed to have it on us while we're working," he says. And Leo had never had a problem with that, even though some of his coworkers did. When the man merely continues to hold out his hand, waggling his fingers and looking at Leo expectantly, Leo starts to breathe faster. "I don't have it on me," he repeats, shifting his weight, not knowing what to do.</p>
<p>He can't give it to him if he doesn't have it.</p>
<p>The other men bring Luis, Dani, and Neymar over. They're pushed beside Leo with Neymar stumbling into the wall. Dani is quick to catch Neymar and cushion what might have been a nasty collision, and Luis steps in front of them all protectively. He's the biggest out of all of them, bulkier in ways that they're not, but Leo's not sure what he can do to help. Luis' usual toothy smile is nowhere to be seen and he presses his shoulder against Leo's in support. "Alright?" Luis breathes, hand resting on the small of Leo's back.</p>
<p>Leo gives a tiny nod in response, trying not to draw attention.</p>
<p>Maybe the robbers will leave them alone now.</p>
<p>"Got two," says Benz, holding out Neymar's gold-colored phone along with Dani's more modest cell. "The fat one says he doesn't have his."</p>
<p>The man in front of Leo takes both phones with a nod. "Somebody search him?" he asks, receiving a quick nod in return. "Mine says that, too," he says, before looking right at Leo. "You aren't lying to me, darlin'. Are you?" he asks, fingering Neymar's gold phone thoughtfully. "Because that wouldn't be a good idea. At all." When Leo merely shakes his head, the man hums. He steps forward and transfers both phones to one of his men. Then he shoves Luis aside and turns Leo to face the wall.</p>
<p>There's a low whistle and a few laughs from the other gunmen as the man presses up against Leo.</p>
<p>And Leo squeezes his eyes shut, desperately afraid. He hadn’t even considered—</p>
<p>But all the man does is pat him down, hand checking first both front pockets and then, after a short pause, both back pockets. He's efficient. He slides his hands down to Leo's ankles and gives them a quick feel as well as though Leo might be hiding a phone in his socks. His touch doesn't linger, and when he's satisfied that Leo's telling the truth, he turns Leo back around. "Do I need to check anywhere else?" he asks, eyes studying Leo's. "Any other pockets? Anywhere around your station?"</p>
<p>Leo shakes his head knowing that he's probably beet red.</p>
<p>"Good. That's exactly what I like to hear," the man purrs. "What's your name?" He's so close to Leo that Leo can see the little flecks in his eyes. "Who do I thank for being so truthful? Hmm?" He looks like he's smiling again, eyes crinkling at the corners.</p>
<p>It's a kind smile, Leo thinks.</p>
<p>He hates that he thinks that.</p>
<p>At any other time, Leo would probably be automatically smiling back—his typical reaction when someone charismatic speaks to him. He’d be smiling, but he would be confused as to why this man is so close to him, talking to him, showing interest in him. As it is, the closeness and the uncertainty makes Leo dizzy. His head is spinning and face flushing at the sound of the man's voice.</p>
<p>It's coaxing, low and seductive...</p>
<p>This whole thing scares him.</p>
<p>He’s trying not to freak the fuck out.</p>
<p>"Leo," Leo whispers, looking past him to where the other three masked men are now being joined by three others. "Lionel really. But I go by Leo." At first, he thinks he's seeing things--his vision blurs and he sways. But no, there are more of them. There are so many.</p>
<p>Why are there so many?</p>
<p>Seven surrounding him, counting the man speaking to him. All are dressed identically: black ski masks, black gloves, black fitted jackets, and black combat boots. All carry guns either in their hands or in the holsters under their arms. He wonders what the back three were doing before, and why they're in separate groups. Are there more of them? Someone had taken Geri somewhere, he remembers. Leo doesn't know how many there are in total then. None of them say anything as they join the crowd.</p>
<p>The silence reminds him again of how empty the bank is.</p>
<p>Leo feels a spike of fear in his stomach as he remembers that there's supposed to a security guard on duty at all times. They've only ever had one at a time inside the bank, and he was really just for show. It was Lucho today. Leo remembers saying hello to him before clocking in, asking if he had any fun weekend plans. Lucho had been planning a barbecue.</p>
<p>Leo wonders what the men did to him.</p>
<p>And he wonders if Geri is okay. He’s the manager after all, so maybe the thieves were going to try to get information out of him? Passwords or logins? Keys and codes to the main vault? Leo can only pray that Geri cooperates and doesn't talk himself into trouble. His friend has never been the type to lie down and roll over when challenged.</p>
<p>"Leo, Leo, Leo," the man in charge repeats, rolling the name on his tongue, and tapping his finger against his chin playfully. It’s cocky like he’d already been expecting the name. He must have known already. "Thank you, Leo." He draws Leo's attention again. "And who is this?" He points at Luis, who is still glowering over in front of Neymar, watching the two of them carefully.</p>
<p>Leo doesn't know how else to answer. "Luis," he says softly. He doesn’t think to try to lie, doesn’t know why the robber wants to know these things. It'll have been written on the nameplate next to his window anyway, he realizes with a sinking feeling, so this is probably all a test. His eyes dart over toward Luis apologetically, but his coworker looks just as confused as Leo.</p>
<p>The masked man hums again. “Leo and Luis. Cute.” He holds his hand out to one of his men and receives Neymar's phone. It's conveniently unlocked--probably because Neymar was just using it instead of working--and he starts to scroll down a page, ignoring the tiny sound that Neymar makes in protest. His fingers tap out a few things. "This you?" he asks, turning the phone around so Leo can see the screen.</p>
<p>It's contact information. The picture for it shows an obscured face. It's a picture of someone getting their head stuck in a practice bib with only dark hair popping out of the top. "Leo (shortie from work)" with a peach emoji is written underneath it and next to a phone number.</p>
<p>Leo nods, feeling his cheeks get hot again, remembering when Neymar had taken his picture one time when Geri had dragged him to play football in the park. His coworker had declared he was going to use it for Leo in his contacts. Leo hadn’t really known Neymar that well and hadn’t found the need to argue with him. He hadn’t anticipated Neymar would really need his information except for when they traded shifts or something.</p>
<p>At Leo's answer, the man pushes the number and holds up the phone to his ear. After a few seconds of listening, he ends the call and nods again. "Good," he says, and Leo merely stares up at him in confusion, imagining that it rang until it went to voicemail since it was in his locker in the break room. Then the man searches through Neymar's phone again, stopping to turn it around and show Leo. "This Luis?" he asks, showing another screen with contact information. This time the picture is of Luis eating a hamburger. "Luis" with a pig emoji is next to it with another phone number.</p>
<p>"Yes," Leo whispers, stomach churning as he realizes what's happening. He looks at Luis and feels sick, not sure what he can do at this point.</p>
<p>The man pushes the number and holds the phone up to his ear. A second later, Luis' phone starts vibrating from somewhere in his pants, the humming sound cutting through the quiet room loudly. "I guess you didn't search him well enough," the robber says sounding disappointed, looking over at his companions.</p>
<p>Leo can't breathe.</p>
<p>The man jerks a hand in Luis' direction and two of the gunmen spring into action followed by a third. They fling Luis to the floor with a thud, twisting his arms behind his back. One digs a knee into his spine and presses a gun into the back of his neck. A third man pats him down again, searching through his clothing until the phone appears. "I'll teach you to make a fool out of me," he growls, pulling it out angrily and tossing it to the ringleader. Then he pushes the hand holding the gun out of the way and smashes Luis' face into the floor. Luis cries out, struggling as the man grabs him by the hair and slams him down again.</p>
<p>The force breaks his nose, and blood starts gushing out, splattering across the floor. Luis screams, primal fear vibrating through the room for maybe a second before it dies as abruptly as it starts.</p>
<p>Then Neymar starts gagging, turning away, and clutching at Dani's shirt. "Oh fuck," he groans, ignoring the way Dani's gone white with fear and trying to shush him. "Jesus fucking Christ!" Neymar gags again, hiding his face, trying to breathe without sobbing. "I can't--I don't--!"</p>
<p>Luis lets out a low moan as they drag his head up again, tears in his eyes from the break and blood dripping down his shirt. He coughs, spitting blood across the room, and looks dazed as he catches Leo's eyes.</p>
<p>"Stop! Stop!" Leo says, panicking, trying to go to him. He doesn’t know how he can help or what he can do, but seeing Luis—poor Luis who has only ever smiled at him and tried to make him feel welcome—pained and bleeding all over the floor makes Leo need to move. He only takes one step before there's a strong arm wrapped around his waist and he's pulled back into a firm chest. He tries to fight, squirming and pushing, flailing his elbows and trying to get away. "Please, don't hurt him anymore!"</p>
<p>"Easy, darlin'," the man says, sticking the phones in his pocket and holding Leo tightly against him. His grip is like iron as he grabs Leo's wrists and folds them into his body. “A little much, Perez,” he says when it looks like the man is going to shove Luis down again. “I think you made your point. And Gaz--you and Marce--put him in the side room."</p>
<p>Fortunately, the man named Perez stops. He snarls, but lets go of Luis' hair. "Lucky," he says, standing up while the two who were instructed to take Luis secure their charge's arms. They drag Luis away, his body practically limp, while Perez folds his arms aggressively. "Should have let me teach him a lesson." He looks down to where there's a puddle of blood and eyes it disgustedly. "There's always one that tries to be a hero."</p>
<p>Leo sags against the man who's holding him, his strength leaving him. "Please," he says, seeing Neymar and Dani huddled together. He thinks of Luis, thinks of Geri, thinks of Lucho. He looks out at the other men, searching for kindness. "Please, just take what you want..." He hangs his head, shutting his eyes when they stare back stonily at him. "We just work here," he says faintly. "None of it is ours."</p>
<p>It's quiet again after that. Silent except for Neymar's choked sobs being muffled into Dani's shirt.</p>
<p>Leo only opens his eyes when he hears the sound of footsteps.</p>
<p>A new masked man stands in front of him (the 8th? 9th? Leo wonders blearily--unless it's the same man who had Geri's arm before), the others parting respectfully to let him through. "Problems, Cris?" he asks, addressing the man holding Leo after he looks down at the floor and notes the mess.</p>
<p>"Just a little one, Cap," Leo's captor--Cris--rumbles. "One of them tried to hide a phone. Nothing I couldn't handle." He doesn't relax his grasp, hands still tightly gripping Leo's wrists as if he's cautioning Leo not to move. "None of them pushed the emergency alarms so we're good there. I'll get things straightened out."</p>
<p>Leo couldn't move even if he wanted to.</p>
<p>"Good," Cap says, eyes lingering on Leo for a moment like he's not sure what to make of such a weak creature. Eventually, he moves on, pulling out his own phone and looking at something intently. "We're making progress on our end. James almost has the codes to get into the system. And Isco says it won't be much longer now. Sese," he says, turning to one of the men in the group, "you're with me." As the one called Sese nods, Cap turns to Cris again. "Put them in the back. Separate them if you think it's best," he says, looking over at Neymar and Dani. Then he shrugs. "Or not, none of them look like they’re going to be trouble. No need to frighten them anymore.”</p>
<p>"Yes, Sir," Cris says as Cap walks away with Sese.</p>
<p>"Want me to deal with that one?" Perez asks, jerking a thumb at Leo. "Have to show them there are consequences for their actions." He pulls on the ends of his gloves, fitting them firmly to his fingers. Then he pounds his fist into his other hand with a loud smack. "Better to do it now before any of the others get ideas." The light glints off the gun in his holster dangerously.</p>
<p>Leo flinches slightly at the noise, waiting for Cris to shove him towards Perez. But the arms stay wrapped around him, tight enough that Leo can barely breathe. "No need," Cris says, shaking his head. "I think they understand that we're serious. And if you recall, this is just a simple in and out. No need for casualties.”</p>
<p>Perez’s eyes narrow, but he doesn't protest. "Fine. Want me to secure them in the other room, then?” Perez asks, taking a step towards Dani and Neymar. Neymar cringes in response, eyes shining with new tears, hands clawing at Dani's back so hard that it must hurt.</p>
<p>Leo suddenly finds Cris' grip a lot more comforting than the alternative.</p>
<p>Cris shakes his head. "You check the front again," he says. "I need someone there watching for any sign of police. Then you can report back to Cap.” He tilts his head at the other two men still standing there. "Keylor, you and Raph take those two back and get them settled. Same room. Wrists and ankles," he orders. "Then stay there. I'll deal with this one and then I'll ping you when I need you again."</p>
<p>Perez scoffs but grabs his gun from his holster and heads out to the front entrance. The clicking sound of him cocking the weapon echoes throughout the empty bank.</p>
<p>The two called Keylor and Raph approach Dani and Neymar. They don't speak and move slowly enough to give Dani and Neymar time to prepare for what's happening. One takes Dani's arm, motioning for him and Neymar to follow, while the other keeps his gun in his hand, loosely pointed at the floor but clearly ready if needed. They all go quietly, Neymar still attached to Dani, miserably flicking his eyes back at Leo as they leave the room.</p>
<p>Leo wants to go with them, doesn’t want to be left alone with this man. He stares longingly in their direction, too afraid to ask if he can be put in the same room. It makes him start to panic again, heart pounding through his chest as he breaks out into a sweat.</p>
<p>An involuntary sound escapes him, betraying his desperation.</p>
<p>Cris hears it. After all, how can he not? Strangely he relaxes his hold on Leo and turns him around. His hands are gentle where they should be rough, and Leo simply does not understand.</p>
<p>It makes Leo even more afraid. He can’t predict what Cris is going to next.</p>
<p>"And what I am supposed to do with you, hmm?" Cris asks as his hands grip Leo's biceps. The leather gloves are sticking against Leo's skin where his short sleeves end. "I thought we started off so well, you and I,” he says, and Leo isn’t sure if he’s kidding. “And then you started fighting me. It's good you understood though and didn't do anything in front of the captain. He likes things done properly and wouldn't have been nearly as lenient if he saw that kind of behavior."</p>
<p>Leo stares up at him, numb.</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter that Cris’ hold on him has loosened because Leo doesn’t believe for a second that Cris is trying to be nice. "You said nobody would get hurt." He remembers the look of pain on Luis' face and shakes his head. His eyes dart to the blood on the floor, feeling nauseated. He shoves at Cris' chest, trying to get away again, seizing whatever opportunity he has. "Would you just have let your man beat him to death?!" He fights viciously this time, even though he's never been in a fight in his life, flailing as much as he can to try to catch Cris in the face.</p>
<p>One lucky strike nearly shoves the mask up, and Leo nearly breaks away as Cris instantly moves both hands to tugs it back down and hide himself. But Leo's not quick enough and Cris pulls him in again when he lunges, simultaneously grabbing Leo and then securing his mask while doing so.</p>
<p>"Stop it," Cris finally hisses when his mask is in its proper position again, grabbing Leo's fists and trying to keep him still. "Just stop!" He gives Leo a shake hard enough to clash his teeth together and then presses him against the wall with his body. Cris holds his wrists above his head and Leo has no further chance of escape. "That's not what I said," he whispers into Leo's ear, voice only slightly muffled by the fabric covering it. "I told you that *if* you did what we said, *then* nobody would get hurt." His tone is one of frustration. "Listen to me--all you have to do is listen."</p>
<p>Leo turns his head away, his sudden burst of energy draining away. He can feel the gun from Cris’ holster pressing into his ribs as Cris holds him against the wall, and Leo just wants to cry.</p>
<p>"You don't really care, though. Do you? What's one dead bank teller, right? We're nothing to you,” Leo says dully. He understands that, knows that feeling well, has felt like nothing his whole life. Why would he expect anything different from this man or these people? “We're beneath you. Just in your way. It doesn't matter to you at all if we get hurt." He's seen enough movies to know that the robbers don't really care about the people in the bank.</p>
<p>Leo licks his lips, exhausted.</p>
<p>"It doesn't matter to you if *I* get hurt,” Leo continues, thinking out loud, not surprised in the least. He looks at the empty bank, at the puddle of dark red on the ground, at the black gloves he can see out of the corner of his eye. “You don't know me. You don't care about me. And so if I made a break for it," he says, eyes going to the door, "you'd take your gun and shoot me."</p>
<p>He thinks about it.</p>
<p>Leo thinks about how whether or not he could do it—just run and let Cris shoot him in the back. He flexes his wrists experimentally before turning back to meet Cris' gaze. Cris had loosened his grip before, so maybe he’ll do it again. "Because you don’t care. You don’t care about anything except the money, right?” He watches those dark eyes in front of him, trying to read Cris. “Have I got it right?”</p>
<p>He's getting himself worked up now, but he doesn't care. He knows the man's name now. But wishes he could see the rest of Cris' face. He can't really read him with just the voice and the eyes. Besides, he’d like to see the face of the man who might kill him.</p>
<p>"Listen, you've got one thing right. I'm here for the money,” Cris says bluntly. "This is just another job to us. One of many. There's nothing special about your bank and no reason why you all should feel singled out. It'll just be a quick in and out, hopefully with the emphasis on quick. But I'm a thief, not a murderer." He sighs and it sounds like he's tired too. "I don't kill people. I've never killed anyone, and with luck, I never will."</p>
<p>Leo looks away again because even though he doesn’t want to believe it, he thinks now that Cris is actually telling the truth.</p>
<p>"I'm not going to shoot you because you're not going to run," Cris says pointedly. "I think we both know that. You're not an idiot. All you have to do is listen to me and behave, and you'll get through this just fine. Your friends will too." When Leo remains somber, he sighs. “Listen," he says like he's trying to have a heart to heart, "you’re smart, okay? I don’t know if anyone’s told you otherwise, but I’m telling you right now. You didn't press the button. You listened to me. You didn't try anything. Not like your Luis."</p>
<p>There's a pause then as if Cris is thinking things through. He tilts his head. "Who is he to you? Boyfriend?" Cris asks suddenly, casually.</p>
<p>Leo widens his eyes and snaps his head up. He’s startled by the question. "Luis? No," he says slowly, surprised. "He's just my friend,” he adds, not even sure why he volunteers the information. It’s stretching the truth, of course. Leo considers Luis a friend, but he’s not sure the opposite is true. Luis might just consider him an odd coworker. "He--he went out of his way to help me out when I started here and didn't know what I was doing. He brings me coffee sometimes in the morning."</p>
<p>Cris laughs lightly, startling Leo again. "Just your friend? Oh, no, darlin'," he says quietly. "The way he looked at you...That's not how a man looks at you when he just wants to be friends... That's what a man looks like when he wants... *more*."</p>
<p>Leo’s mind blanks, entirely confused, and he tries to figure out what to say. He’s scared again, scared by what Cris is saying, scared about where this is going. Luis was seeing someone named Phil, last time Leo checked, so Cris is wrong about his insinuations. He opens his mouth to protest, to say that it isn't like that, Luis doesn't like Leo like that, but Cris hushes him before he can say anything.</p>
<p>"You tried to help him awfully quickly," Cris says like it's only just now occurring to him. "Tried to fight off a man with a gun for him. For someone who's just a coworker. A friend, that is." His gaze is intense, eyes boring into Leo's, daring him to speak. "Maybe you want something more, too," he says teasingly. "Is that it, darlin'? Pretty thing like you going for a bit of rough?"</p>
<p>All of a sudden, Leo becomes hyperaware of the position they're in.</p>
<p>In another place, at another time, it would be sexual.</p>
<p>Cris is still holding his wrists, body pressed against his, knee between his legs, hips pinning Leo to the wall. His face is inches from Leo's, close enough that Leo can feel the heat from his breath through the fabric of the ski mask. And his dark eyes are focused on Leo's, as if he's trying to see right through him, trying to get under his skin. "Maybe it is, hmm?" Cris whispers.</p>
<p>Leo tries not to move. It's definitely sexual now. And he doesn't quite like it, doesn't want it like this. Not *like this*. He feels like… he feels like prey. Like an animal that’s been cornered by something that’s going to eat him. Cris’ voice is seductive again, confident like he knows exactly what he’s saying and how Leo’s going to react. And Leo makes a noise, helplessly, because nobody's ever talked to him like this before. It's a tiny little gasp that he wishes he could take back.</p>
<p>Because Cris holds him against the wall. Makes it clear he could hold Leo there as long as he likes. Shows Leo that he’s powerless.</p>
<p>Still, Cris does nothing more than that. Thankfully. Just holds him there. Waits for Leo to reply. His eyes are crinkling like he's smiling again like he thinks this is all a game.</p>
<p>Leo starts to feel dizzy again, and his breathing quickens once more. He doesn’t know what to do, and no matter his terror, the adrenaline is starting to flow. "Even if I did--if I was," Leo says, swallowing hard, trying to ignore the fact that his body temperature is rising due to Cris molded against him, "I wouldn't tell you." He closes his eyes, willing himself not to do anything, trying to stop the flush he knows is still spreading across his cheeks. "But we're just friends. And I'd help any of my friends if I could."</p>
<p>His voice is quivering now, words barely louder than a whisper, and if Cris were any further away he probably wouldn’t be able to hear Leo.</p>
<p>Maybe it's Leo's words, or maybe it's Leo's fear, but Cris loosens his grip on Leo's wrists, sliding his hands down Leo's forearms and rubbing like he's trying to comfort him. "We could be friends," he drawls, changing his tone, shifting his weight. His voice goes from seductive to friendly, from suggestive to kind. "Don't you think?"</p>
<p>It’s a strange thing to do, and a strange thing to say, and it throws Leo off again. If Cris is trying to make peace with him, it isn’t working, and if he’s trying to insinuate something more now, it isn’t clear. All it reminds Leo of is how unpredictable Cris could be, and how he doesn’t know anything about this man except that he's robbing this bank.</p>
<p>Cris is just a black mask and a gun.</p>
<p>Leo keeps his eyes closed, lashes quivering. "No," he says, thinking back to what Cris has said, and then of the way Cris watched as that monster--Perez--broke Luis' nose. They'd all stood there, all of those men with their weapons and their stares. None of them had cared that they were hurting someone innocent. "No, we couldn't. I--I could never be friends with someone like you."</p>
<p>Maybe it’s the wrong thing to say, and maybe it’ll provoke Cris.</p>
<p>Leo doesn’t know.</p>
<p>He doesn't even know why they're having this conversation, doesn't know what Cris even wants from him. Surely Cris doesn’t want to be his friend. And surely Cris isn’t hinting at something else. The very idea sends a shiver up Leo’s spine. He's not that attractive--doesn't have gorgeous eyes like Neymar, or a sense of humor like Dani, or muscles like Luis. No, he's just ordinary--less than ordinary. He's nobody--a bank teller, not even a supervisor. He has a key to his drawer at his station and that's it. He doesn't do any of the online accounts at all.</p>
<p>Leo's nothing.</p>
<p>He's--he's... nobody.</p>
<p>It must be a game for Cris.</p>
<p>Cris' hands let go of Leo's arms entirely and drop to Leo's hips instead. "I'm sorry you think that," he says, sounding only a little sorry as his fingers tease at the hem of Leo's shirt. "I think you'd find that I'm not such a bad person to be friends with." He bunches some of the material together before he pauses as if he suddenly can see the way Leo's frozen. "What you have to remember," he says, taking a step back and putting some space between them, "is that this isn't personal."</p>
<p>He says it matter of factly, with a touch of regret.</p>
<p>Leo's eyes fly open, feeling cold now that Cris has backed away. He shivers and doesn’t say anything, considering the man in front of him. In an eerie way, he thinks that Cris has just carelessly revealed something about himself. But Leo can’t really think of him as anything other than a dangerous criminal.</p>
<p>"It's not personal at all,” Cris continues, not seeming to care that he’s repeating himself. “It's business. It's not about you. Hell, it's not about your friend Luis." He throws his arms out to his sides and gestures to their surroundings. "It's about money. About money that we want, and that we’re going to take,” he says as his voice hardens slightly. "It's not the first time we've done this, and it's not going to be the last either. Because we're very good at what we do."</p>
<p>Leo watches him with wide eyes.</p>
<p>Cris drops his hands to his sides and shrugs. He tilts his head and studies Leo. "But you, darlin'...," he says, some of his friendliness returning, "you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Weren't you?" He lowers his voice and steps back toward Leo. "And if you listen to me, I promise nothing will happen to you." He meets Leo's eyes and looks like he's about to say something more. But then he slowly raises his hand, letting it hover in front of Leo's face.</p>
<p>Leo doesn't know what Cris is going, and he finds he's frozen in place.</p>
<p>Cris apparently takes that as permission. Because when Leo doesn't move, Cris gently--very gently--strokes Leo's cheek with his gloved thumb.</p>
<p>Leo can't help the little inhalation that escapes him, his lips parting in surprise. He's so fucking confused. Is this part of the game? The gentleness of the touch is the worst part, and Leo thinks he might have preferred getting hit than having Cris mess around with him like this.</p>
<p>"Please," Leo whispers, not knowing what he's asking.</p>
<p>Please, let me go?</p>
<p>Please, tell me what to do?</p>
<p>Please, is this real?</p>
<p>Cris flicks his eyes to Leo's mouth before meeting his gaze again. But he drops his hand to his side. "You don't know what to think. Do you?" he asks, but it's more like he's talking to himself than to Leo. "You clearly don't know me. Don't trust me. And why should you?" he says, eyes slightly crinkling, looking like he's trying to smile and failing. "You think I'm like Perez, I bet. Think I want to hurt you or your friends just because I can."</p>
<p>Leo stays quiet.</p>
<p>"I'm not like him, though. I don't like violence. The threat of the gun should be enough. There's no need to rough anyone up," Cris offers. "Honestly, he's a bit of a loose cannon, and if he keeps that act up, Cap is gonna kick his sorry ass out of our group. Because that's not the way we operate." He tilts his chin up. "So I truly don't blame you, darlin', for being scared of us. Of me. Don't worry, though. I'll be out of your hair soon enough. When this is all over, we'll leave. And you'll never have to see us ever again."</p>
<p>Leo's cheek is tingling from where Cris touched him.</p>
<p>He doesn't know what to say. His fear is dying down, but his confusion is growing. He still can't help but think that Cris is just putting on an act. It turns out that he doesn't have to reply because Cris takes his arm.</p>
<p>"It's alright, you don't have to answer. Come on," Cris says, fingers curled around Leo's elbow, starting to guide him down the corridor off to the side. Leo allows himself to be taken deeper into the bank. They pass a few of the other gunmen, each stationed outside different rooms.</p>
<p>Leo wonders where Dani and Neymar are.</p>
<p>And where Luis is.</p>
<p>And where Geri is.</p>
<p>They stop at one of the lounges in the back, Cris knocking twice in quick succession before opening the closed door. The room is empty except for one man sitting at the table in the middle with a laptop in front of him. He looks young, with short dark hair and puppy dog-like eyes. He's wearing neither gloves nor a mask, though both are on the table beside him.</p>
<p>Not that Leo really has very long to look at him, because Cris immediately covers Leo's eyes. "James," Cris says warningly, as Leo clutches Cris' arm, disoriented. "Mask on, now." The black leather sticks to Leo's forehead and cheekbones, making him scrunch up his face even as he falls back against Cris' chest in surprise.</p>
<p>The man, James, growls. "It itches, Cris!"</p>
<p>James obeys quickly, though, and when Cris drops his hand, Leo can see that the mask is back where it belongs.</p>
<p>Leo blinks at the bright fluorescent light, and James waves a hand at him in greeting. "I'm on babysitting duty now, too?" James asks, returning his focus to his laptop. "I don't think that's part of my job description." He mutters something and his fingers fly over his keys, typing rapidly. "'Just break into the system, James. We need you, James,'" he mimics. "'Oh, and here's a hostage for you to watch while you do your highly difficult work.'"</p>
<p>"Don't worry," Cris says, tugging Leo over to a chair. "This one won't be any trouble. He's smart." He kneels between Leo's legs and pulls out a few zip ties from one of his jacket pockets. "Right, Leo?"</p>
<p>Leo nods, tearing his eyes away from James to look at the man between his thighs. Cris is staring back at him, eyes dark and intense again, trailing his gaze down Leo's body. Leo bites his lip, watching as Cris zeros in on his mouth, and Leo has to look away. He needs to remind himself to be cautious, to remember that he can't trust Cris--no matter what pretty speech he'd given in the hallway. "Can't I sit on the couch?" Leo ventures, eyes darting over to the corner, thinking this is a good test of Cris' kindness.</p>
<p>Cris pauses as if he's considering it, but shakes his head in the end. "Has to be here," he answers. "Don't quite have the supplies to keep you secured over there," he explains when he sees Leo's frown. He's careful as he ties first Leo's left ankle to the chair leg, and then his right ankle to another leg. He runs his fingers around the zip ties and makes sure they're properly in place. They're not tight enough that they're cutting into Leo's skin, but they're not loose enough that Leo can pull his legs free. Once he's finished, he stands up and circles behind Leo. "Hands behind your back, please."</p>
<p>Leo cringes, not liking that idea at all. "Do you--do you have to?" he asks, wringing his hands. "I can't go anywhere with my feet tied, and I won't do anything." He tilts his head back to look at Cris. "Please, I won't," he repeats, near trembling.</p>
<p>Cris shakes his head again. "I believe that you think you're telling the truth," he says slowly. "But if you had the chance to get away--to help your friends get away? After what you did earlier to try to help Luis, I think you would take it. I'm sorry, I have to secure you." He gently takes Leo's hands and then twists his arms behind the back of the chair. Leo's wrists are fastened together and Cris' gloved hands squeeze his fingers. "Trust me, this is safer for you. All you have to do is stay here and out of the way. And it shouldn't be for too long," he says, walking over to lean over James' shoulder.</p>
<p>James doesn't look away from the screen but bats Cris away. "It'll be even longer if you don't let me do this," he says, scratching his head through his mask. "Isco got though the first few firewalls, but there are a few security measures we didn't expect. I mean, it's a lucrative account so... Looks like they've rerouted a few of--," he says, stopping abruptly. "Wait, hmm, that doesn't make sense." He starts typing furiously. "Oh, I see!"</p>
<p>Cris kicks out a third chair, sitting down and putting his feet up on the table. The black boots seem pristine and don't drop any dirt. "Are you in, or what?" When there's no answer except for more typing, Cris looks over at Leo. "Hackers are always like this," he says, tapping his fingers on the table impatiently. "They just zone out whenever they feel like it. I can't complain of course. Haven't a clue what the hell he sees in all that coding. Complete gibberish to me. The Matrix or whatever." He laughs. "But that's why we pay him the big bucks to do what we can't."</p>
<p>Leo stares at him. He wishes the shades were up and he could stare outside and distract himself. But the gunmen seem to have thought of everything and they're completely blocking the outside. It's probably what some of them were doing while the others were having Leo step away from his station. "Are you seriously trying to have a conversation with me about this?" he asks out loud, half to himself.</p>
<p>He should bite his tongue, should hold everything inside, should stay quiet.</p>
<p>"You want me to sit here and smile and joke with you? You just tied me to a chair! Do you think I'll ignore that just because..." Leo stops flushing, remembering the way Cris had touched his face. He wants to say 'because of whatever happened in the hallway,' but it turns out he isn't brave enough.</p>
<p>James is peering over at him now too, seemingly interested in the conversation. Leo looks away instead, wishing he had never said anything.</p>
<p>Cris raps on the table, his gloves dulling the sound. "Leo," he coaxes. "Come on, darlin', talk to me. Please don't be upset about this."</p>
<p>Leo presses his lips together angrily, staring at the wall. "I wish you wouldn't call me that," he says then, wondering if he's reaching a point of no return. If he pushes enough, he thinks Cris will show his true colors--he'll stop with the pet names, with the gentle hands, with the fake sincerity... He wonders how many other bank tellers Cris has pretended to be kind with.</p>
<p>Frankly, Leo will be relieved when Cris stops playing this game.</p>
<p>"Um," James says. "I hate to interrupt because frankly, I have no idea what is going on with you guys and this is way more fascinating than what I'm actually doing here. But, Cris, I have the codes we need. Can you let Cap know?"</p>
<p>"Can't you do it?" Cris asks, making a sound like he's grinding his teeth. "Are your legs broken?" He's staring at Leo with intent, clearly not happy with the interruption.</p>
<p>"Ha-ha-ha," James says sarcastically. "You are so funny. But seriously, now I'm into the system. Can you tell Cap so he can have Isco... Um, do what he's supposed to be doing next?" James says, choosing his words carefully since Leo is listening. "And then you can come back here and continue this--" He raises his hand and swirls it in the air, lacking the word to describe it.</p>
<p>"Fine," Cris mutters, pulling his feet off the table. He walks around and kneels next to Leo's chair. "So now you won't even speak to me?" he asks, fingers turning Leo's face toward his. Leo lets him. "What do you want me to say? I'm sorry? Is that it?" He searches Leo's eyes. "I am, okay? I'm sorry. I'm a nice guy, I promise. Outside of here."</p>
<p>Leo shuts his eyes. Because the thing is, he believes him. He believes Cris is sorry.</p>
<p>But it doesn't change anything.</p>
<p>"I can't let you go," Cris says quietly, releasing Leo's chin. "I can't. We have a job to do and we are going to do it and get what we came for. This is a big deal. Our lives are on the line. You just have to be patient and wait for us to get out of your hair. But... How about this--I'll go check on your friends for you," he offers. "I'll make sure Luis is okay, that the other two--the skinny one who cried and his friend--are both okay too."</p>
<p>Leo opens his eyes, receptive to the idea. "And Geri," he says bargaining, looking over at the wall again and clearing his throat. "I want to know that Geri is okay." He takes a deep breath and finally meets Cris' gaze. "He's--he's--my manager, my best friend," he swallows. "Gerard. The really tall guy. They took him away somewhere in the beginning. Away from the rest of us. I want to know that's he's okay."</p>
<p>Cris' eyes crinkle at the corners. "I know who you mean. Gerard," he repeats. "Alright, no problem," he says, standing up. "I'll be back with an update on them in a few minutes," he promises Leo. He walks out of the room, tapping James on the head as he goes by. "Be nice and keep your mask on," he orders, before striding out and closing the door behind him.</p>
<p>"Yeah, yeah," James says once the door is closed. He reaches up underneath his mask and scratches his face vigorously. But he obeys Cris and keeps it on. "I mean, I get it," James says, once he's finished. "Makes it harder to identify us after all of this is over. We cut the cameras and deleted whatever little footage there was of us, but. Yeah. Masks for faces, gloves for fingerprints, nicknames instead of real names... You know. The usual. Gotta cover our asses so we don't get caught."</p>
<p>When Leo looks at the pair of gloves on the table, and then at James' bare hands, James wiggles his fingers and sighs. "Yeah. You're right, but I'm only touching my own laptop so I'm okay for now. When I finish, I'll put them back on so I don't touch any doorknobs or whatever. I'm not stupid, really, I promise. Although, I'd lose the mask, too, if I could. As you can tell."</p>
<p>"Is James not your real name?" Leo asks curiously, shifting in his chair. He can't move much with the way his arms are secured, but he is able to slide forward an inch or so and take some of the pressure off his shoulders. "It's a nickname? Or a code name? You didn't seem to mind using it in front of me."</p>
<p>James laughs. "No, it is my real name," he says carelessly. "Only some of us are using nicknames. Not that it really matters. It's common enough that you wouldn't be able to identify me with it. And really, it'll be too hard for anyone to trace us after we leave. You can tell the cops whatever you want or remember when they press you for details. We wouldn't blame you for that. In fact, we expect you to. It doesn't matter. They won't be able to find us. We're too good at what we do."</p>
<p>"So you do this for a living, then?" Leo asks, trying to imagine such a life. Threatening people with guns, breaking into banks, stealing money that isn't is, and destroying everything in his path. He shakes his head, unwilling to consider such a dangerous lifestyle. He'd rather be poor. "You're all full-time criminals?"</p>
<p>James cocks his head. "Well... I mean... Some of us are. It pays well. Very well. Some of us are guns for hire. Ex-military that needs a job or whatever. I'm the brains obviously. Well, not the brains behind everything, but I do computers and stuff. I'm one of the very few who can do this sort of thing. There's another guy on our team who can as well, so together we're unstoppable. Oh, and I drive sometimes."</p>
<p>"You drive?" Leo asks, confused. "What, like the getaway car?"</p>
<p>James laughs, turning to type again furiously. "Yeah, man. I love to drive. High-speed chases are my thing, you know? Too much Grand Theft Auto as a kid, I think. I'm really good, too. But Cap doesn't let me very often. We have a few drivers, so it's fair. And he's the boss, so I have to listen. I mean, most of the time we're trying to be inconspicuous so it's less about speeding and more about not getting pulled over for forgetting to use a turn signal, you know?" He focuses on the screen in front of him, muttering something Leo can't hear.</p>
<p>Leo guesses that he's zoned out again. He tilts his head back and stares at the ceiling, slowly starting to count the number of square tiles up there. He's at twenty-three when James starts talking again.</p>
<p>"What you were talking to Cris about before... We're not really all bad guys, you know?" James says, breaking the silence. "Like, I'm mostly normal when I'm not doing this. I'm in a relationship. And I have a daughter. And a dog. I watch way too much football and drink a lot of root beer and get yelled at for not taking out the trash. This is just... my day job. It helps pay for what I need in life. Makes sure I have enough so that my little girl can grow up and do whatever she wants."</p>
<p>"Maybe you're not a bad guy," Leo says quietly, "but that doesn't mean that the rest of them aren't."</p>
<p>James nods. "Okay, so I'm clearly the best out of all of them," he says laughing. "But, you're wrong. Some of them are really good guys. You would like them if you met them in a pub or played 5 a side with them. You just don't know them like I do." He flicks his eyes back at his screen and then back at Leo. "And I don't know why you're mad at Cris, but he's one of the good ones. Though, he's a total dork, really. Okay, yeah, I take it back, he's a total loser. Tells terrible jokes. Has awful fashion sense. Hmm, but the worst thing about him is that he will not shut up when we watch football! Thinks he's way better than any of the guys in La Liga."</p>
<p>Leo feels part of a smile come to his face. "Is he?"</p>
<p>James scoffs. "Hell, no. I mean, don't get me wrong--he's decent. The long legs help, sure. But just because he can run rings around the lads down at the park on Sundays doesn't mean he's better than anyone we've got on Real Madrid. They're not called the galacticos just for fun, you know?"</p>
<p>Leo makes a disgusted sound.</p>
<p>"Ahhh," James says, cocking his head to the side. "You're totally a Barça fan," he says perceptibly. "Well, your loss. I could sit here and wax on poetically about all the times we've destroyed you, but really, I have better things to do." He starts typing again, humming nonsensically something that sounds like it might be Real Madrid's anthem.</p>
<p>Leo laughs a little, genuinely, feeling light for a moment. He's always enjoyed a bit of football banter, and he's about to retort, but then James appears to zone out again. Leo shakes his head, amused before he sobers. Because... Even though James does seem nice, Leo knows he can't trust him.</p>
<p>James is still one of them.</p>
<p>No matter how much James talks football, or complains about his girlfriend, or talks about how normal he is, he's still wearing a black mask. He's still hacking into the bank's security. He's still wearing a gun in his holster. And he's still keeping Leo hostage.</p>
<p>All of which Leo is reminded of when the doorknob turns and James moves, abruptly drawing his weapon and standing before the door even finishes opening.</p>
<p>"Can't believe you're not finished yet," says the masked man, ignoring the gun now pointed at him. He enters the room, slams the door behind him, and crosses his arms. "Cap's getting antsy. Wants to get out of here. We all do."</p>
<p>Leo recognizes the voice instantly and his skin crawls in response.</p>
<p>It's Perez: the one who punched Luis.</p>
<p>"Jesus," James says, putting his gun back and sitting down again. "You couldn't fucking knock?" he mutters, turning to his laptop. "If you're not gonna follow the rules, you're gonna end up getting shot one of these days. Oh, and maybe I'm not getting anything done because all of you keep interrupting me. Cap knows this takes time.“</p>
<p>Perez snorts, stalking closer to the table and looking over James' shoulder. He doesn't say anything, studying the screen intently. Then he turns to stare at Leo.</p>
<p>Leo tries not to breathe in hopes that Perez' interest will dissipate.</p>
<p>Wishful thinking.</p>
<p>Perez strides over and kicks the chair that Cris had been sitting in. He grabs it and drags it slowly across the floor. It screeches loudly, but Perez does not stop moving it until it's over facing Leo directly. He sits down heavily, hunching over and resting his elbows on his knees. He continues to stare at Leo intimidatingly, eyes searching his face for something.</p>
<p>Leo matches his stare at first, trying to be braver than he actually feels, hoping maybe that will dissuade Perez from wanting to have anything to do with him. But as the stare, and the silence, go on, Leo looks away. He squeezes his hands into fists where they're fastened behind his back, desperately frightened. He wishes James would talk to Perez again, wishes that Cris would appear--</p>
<p>Perez scoots closer to him, the chair screeching again angrily.</p>
<p>"Isn't this cozy," Perez says, drawing his gun. He tosses it from hand to hand carelessly. Then he leans into the space between Leo's spread legs and nudges his gun into Leo's knee. He doesn't give Leo any time to react and begins lazily sliding the gun up and down Leo's thigh. "Very cozy," Perez repeats.</p>
<p>Leo doesn't reply, paralyzed as the gun moves up and down his leg. It's not like before when Cris had slid a gun across his station. That had scared him, but this--this is much worse. Leo can feel the cold, hard metal through the thin fabric of his pants. He's utterly aware of the danger he's in, and he can only swallow hard as Perez reaches out with a gloved hand and grips his chin.</p>
<p>It's not like when Cris had touched his chin.</p>
<p>That was gentle.</p>
<p>Perez turns Leo's face side to side, thoughtfully, inspecting him. "You aren't much to look at," he says with derision. Then he laughs. "Not from this side at least." His fingers dig into Leo's skin. "James, here, hasn't seen your ass properly, you know. Should we get you up so he can? Think he would appreciate it?"</p>
<p>Leo's face gets hot, remembering how the other men had laughed and whistled when Cris had turned him to face the wall.</p>
<p>Perez squeezes his face harder. "Hmmm. Maybe not. Open your mouth," he orders gruffly.</p>
<p>Leo's too stunned to reply, and he ends up making a little questioning sound, not understanding. "Wha--?" His pulse starts to race, getting more and more afraid.</p>
<p>"Open your mouth," Perez says louder, letting go of Leo's face and shoving a gloved finger between Leo's lips.</p>
<p>Leo shuts his eyes at the taste of leather on his tongue before opening them again and almost gagging as Perez forces another finger in. Leo tilts his head back, trying to breathe in and out through his nose as the other man stares at him menacingly.</p>
<p>"What are you doing?" James asks voice cutting through the room. "That's not--what are you doing?" He's paused in his typing, finally registering what's happening, sounding somewhat alarmed. "Why are you--?"</p>
<p>Leo wants to look to him for help, but he's afraid to look away from Perez.</p>
<p>"I was talking to Iker," Perez says, sounding unconcerned. He drags his fingers out of Leo's mouth and then looks at them thoughtfully. His fingers glisten with Leo's saliva. “We were looking at stuff in the office. Did you know that there's no Leo scheduled to be working today?" He laughs, leaning in to peer at Leo's face. "That means that somebody, here, gave us a fake name. Isn’t that right, Javier Mascherano?“</p>
<p>Leo tips his face away. "What?" he says. "No! I--I didn't," he stammers. "That's my name!" He ignores the way Perez grips his chin again and squeezes. "It's true I wasn't on the schedule today, but Masche called in sick, and they asked me to fill in. I swear," he says fervently, "I'm telling the truth!" This time he flicks his eyes at James, trying to ask for help. "I'm telling the truth," he repeats.</p>
<p>Perez shrugs. "Maybe you are," he says, letting go of Leo's face. Then he presses his fingers back into Leo's mouth, ignoring the choking sound Leo makes. "Maybe you aren't." He shoves his fingers in further until Leo's gagging. "Couldn't see his face in the contact picture, but we assumed it was him," Perez tosses over his shoulder, "We did the usual. Used a coworker’s phone to call a 'Leo.' Turns out we should have been calling a 'Javier Mascherano.’”</p>
<p>Leo tries to shake his head, tries to dislodge the fingers that are being shoved down his throat. He's starting to get light-headed.</p>
<p>"So maybe," Perez continues, "like I said, maybe this isn't Leo. And maybe, he does have a hidden phone." He removes his gun from where he'd been resting it on Leo's leg and sticks it back into its holster. "And maybe," Perez says, whispering to Leo, "maybe if I do a more thorough body search, I'll find it." His free hand slides between the buttons of Leo's shirt to touch bare skin.</p>
<p>Later, Leo won't know whether it was his lack of oxygen or the feeling of those fingers moving across his chest, but at that moment, he reacts.</p>
<p>He *bites*.</p>
<p>Perez yells, jerking his hand away from Leo's mouth and cursing up a storm. "Fucking bitch!" he says, violently cuffing Leo across the face.</p>
<p>The force of the blow jerks Leo's face to the side, and is actually so strong that it tips Leo and the chair over backward, both slamming to the floor. He can hear yelling in the background, but his ears are ringing and he can't decipher any of it as he feels tears welling up in his eyes, half from the surprise and half from the pain. His lips are numb, and when his tongue tries to soothe them, he tastes blood. He takes a shuddering breath, and then another, wishing he were anywhere but here.</p>
<p>And then Perez’s on him.</p>
<p>His wrists are still fastened behind his back, arms now crushed by both his weight and the body on top of him, while his ankles are still secured to the chair legs--something that Perez seems to revel in if his taunting is anything to go by.</p>
<p>"Oh, that was stupid," Perez says, grabbing Leo's hair and pulling his head to the side. "You stupid bitch," he mutters, slamming Leo's head down against the back of the chair again and again and again. "What are you going to do, now?" he asks, letting go and spitting on Leo's cheek. He cuffs him once more, before standing over Leo and looking down. When Leo doesn't answer, disoriented, and trying to breathe, Perez laughs. "Nothing, that's what," he says, kicking Leo's side viciously.</p>
<p>Leo cries out, coughing and trying to suck in oxygen, as that heavy foot crashes into his ribs and pain shoots through his entire body. Tears are escaping from his eyes now and he's shaking, so hurt and confused. He's barely aware that Perez’s on top of him again, ripping his shirt open and sending buttons flying. Faintly he feels his feet being tugged and he realizes his ankles are free, the zip ties gone.</p>
<p>The reason why becomes apparent as Perez’s hand starts undoing the button on his pants.</p>
<p>Leo's head lolls back against the chair, tears streaming down his face. His legs may be free, but he's pinned to the ground and doesn't have the strength to kick his attacker away. He still can't breathe, can't do anything, can only lie there as Perez’s hand moves to the zipper.</p>
<p>But then Perez is gone.</p>
<p>"What the fuck are you doing?!" There's shouting and then the sound of a struggle.</p>
<p>Leo lies there, panting, blearily staring up at the ceiling. Faces in black masks peer down at him, but Leo's still confused, and he can't tell who is who. Multiple pairs of eyes are swimming in front of him. He thought he heard Cris, but now he's not so sure. Someone fastens the button on his pants again, while somebody else pulls his shirt closed. Half of those buttons are now gone, but they pull the cloth together as best they can.</p>
<p>"His arms," one of the men says, and then they're turning him in his side to cut his arms free from the back of the chair.</p>
<p>Leo can't feel anything in his arms or fingers. He doesn't know if anything is broken since they're numb from the pressure. After a beat, feeling starts to come back, and he manages to pull them into a more natural position. He can hear a discussion going on around them, but he curls into a ball on the floor.</p>
<p>He can't stop shaking.</p>
<p>"I didn't know what to do," he hears James say, sounding distraught. "He's fucking snapped or something!"</p>
<p>"You were right to come get help," someone else says. “He’s been getting worse. Causing a lot of unnecessary complications and attacking people for no other reason than to terrorize them. This will probably be the last straw. Someone's gonna end up getting killed and then they're gonna really start hunting us down. Cap will deal with him.”</p>
<p>There's some muttering after that, but Leo can't understand any of it. He closes his eyes, focusing on taking deep breaths, one after another. He's trying to calm down, trying to pretend that everything is okay, but it's not working. He feels like his body is screaming at him. His mouth aches, lip bloodied from Perez hitting him, but his head is pounding... He thinks the knifing pain in his side hurts more.</p>
<p>He's cautiously probing his side, tender from being kicked when somebody touches his shoulder. Startled, he blindly lashes out, hitting somebody who grunts in surprise.</p>
<p>"Shit man, did he get you?" someone asks from nearby.</p>
<p>Leo curls up in a ball again, trying not to hyperventilate. He wants to apologize, but he's so tired, so afraid, so hurt. He ducks his head, hoping not to get kicked again. The floor is cold, and it feels like it's seeping into his bones, but he doesn't know what else to do. He's just going to stay where he is until they're all gone.</p>
<p>"It was my fault," someone else says. "Shouldn't have touched him."</p>
<p>"Leo," James says, sounding close by. "Leo, are you alright?" He sounds nothing like he did before when they were talking about football. He sounds as scared as Leo feels.</p>
<p>Leo opens his eyes to see a masked face squatting down on the floor in front of him. If he squints, he can tell that it's James.</p>
<p>"I couldn't--," James says, shaking his head. "I didn't know what to do. I'm sorry I didn't do anything quicker." He reaches out a hand to Leo. "Let me help you."</p>
<p>But Leo cringes back seeing that hand coming toward his face. "No, no, no," he murmurs, fighting back a new wave of tears. "Don't touch me, please, don't touch me." He's still trembling, head still fuzzy, wanting them all to just go away and leave him alone. "Please," he whispers, holding his shirt closed in an effort to get warm. "Just take the money and go!"</p>
<p>There’s a commotion at the door.</p>
<p>And then Geri’s there, muttering angrily under his breath, wrapping his arms around Leo and holding him tight. “Leo! The fuck is this,” Geri says, pulling Leo into his chest. “Which asshole was it,” he says, kissing the top of Leo’s head. “I’ll fucking kill him until he's dead.”</p>
<p>Leo’s so relieved that he goes willingly into Geri’s arms, latching onto him immediately. “Geri,” he whispers. “Geri, you’re okay?” He wipes his face blearily and closes his eyes again, this time feeling utterly safe. He shivers and hides his face as he soaks up some of Geri’s heat. “Thank God you're alright. I was so scared for you.”</p>
<p>Geri scoffs. “Me? Of course, I’m fine,” he says, rubbing Leo’s back. “You’re the one I’m worried about.” He looks around darkly, eyeing the few masked men still in the room. “Hope you’re all happy with yourselves,” he says as he glares. “Why the hell are you even still here? What more do you have to do? Seems pretty simple to me. Get the fucking money and get out. Leave him alone.”</p>
<p>James clears his throat. “We’re really sorry about—,” he tries, but Geri cuts him off.</p>
<p>“Oh, you’re sorry?” Geri repeats sarcastically. “Great, that really helps, right? Whoever did this is a fucking psychopath, okay.” He pulls on the edges of Leo’s shirt, flapping it in irritation, and then gestures at the buttons all scattered around them on the floor. “This look normal to you? Huh? You’re lucky Leo needs me right now, otherwise, this conversation would be going a lot differently.”</p>
<p>“Enough,” someone says, and Leo recognizes it as Cap’s voice.</p>
<p>Leo doesn’t look up, keeps his face hidden in Geri’s chest. He doesn’t want to see any of the others. Doesn’t want to see angry eyes or black masks or guns. He just wants to quietly pretend that none of this is happening, that he didn’t agree to take this shift today, that he’s home and having a bad dream. He takes a shaky breath, near moaning when the jagged pain in his side makes itself known again.</p>
<p>“It is enough,” Geri retorts, not backing down, voice rumbling through Leo's body. “What kind of operation are you running here? Eh?”</p>
<p>“Enough,” Cap repeats. “You want us to send you back to the front? And have you sit by yourself again?” There’s a pause as if Geri’s sulking. “Just sit over there with him, out of the way, and for the love of God: shut up. Nobody else will touch him. I apologize for the inconvenience,” Cap continues. He sighs like he’s annoyed. “James, can you please just hurry up. We’ve been here long enough and you're cutting it close.”</p>
<p>There’s a pause, and then, “And stop scratching.”</p>
<p>Leo lets himself be maneuvered over to the sofa in the corner. He can see James is back at his laptop at the table, and that there’s a cluster of the masked men over by the doorway having some sort of whispered discussion. The chair is still toppled over where Leo had fallen, and if he tries to focus he can see his buttons still on the floor here and there. But his head is swimming and so he stops trying to find them as Geri puts an arm around him.</p>
<p>“Just relax, hmmm?” Geri says, lowering his voice as he speaks to Leo. He hugs Leo for a moment and takes a few deep breaths like he needs to calm down too. And then he begins examining Leo’s face. “He got you good, Leo,” Geri says regretfully as he skims down Leo’s cheeks, thumbs wiping away any lingering tears. “Your lip…” he says, his fingers gently touching the underside and pressing on some of his teeth. “These look okay. Nothing feels loose. Are you hurt anywhere else?”</p>
<p>Leo doesn’t nod, because the second he tries, his head nearly explodes. “My head,” he mumbles thickly, the lip now swelling slightly. “And my side,” he says, trying not to breathe in too deeply. “That feels really not good. He--he kicked me pretty hard. But I’m okay,” he says then, more to himself than to Geri. “Nothing else happened. I’m okay.”</p>
<p>“They’ll be gone soon. Sooner than soon if all goes well,” Geri promises, dropping his hand and sighing. “This shouldn’t have happened to you. I’m so sorry. You weren’t even on the schedule today. I should have just told Masche he didn't need to get any cover. We--we could have managed if I took a window, too,” He puts his arm back around Leo’s shoulders. “I'm sorry I didn't do that. What rotten luck.”</p>
<p>Leo rests his head on Geri’s shoulder, eyes falling closed again. He feels warmer now, cuddled up against his friend. “I’m glad you’re here,” he murmurs, thinking of Neymar and Luis and Dani. “I was so worried.” For that matter, he’s still worried, still worried about what’s going to happen to them all. "I wish they'd just put me with you before."</p>
<p>Geri laughs lightly. “I know. Your—,” he pauses like he’s not sure what words he wants to use, “friend came to check on me.” He mutters something under his breath again. “Tall asshole. But he seemed to care about your wellbeing which is more than I can say for the rest to them. Said he’d managed to piss you off something mightily and so he’d been sent to see how I was doing up there.”</p>
<p>Leo’s eyes flutter open.</p>
<p>“Oh,” Leo says, without meaning to. His eyes flick over at the group at the doorway. He can’t tell who is who, not with the way his head is pounding and his sight is still a touch blurry. “I forgot,” he admits, taking a deep breath and then hissing at the resulting twinge. He sits up again and presses a hand to his side, trying to brace it. “I think I forgot he was going to do that.”</p>
<p>Geri hums. He looks at Leo carefully and then gingerly reaches between them to pull Leo’s shirt open. “Let me see, hmm?” He moves slowly and methodically, giving Leo plenty of time to stop him.</p>
<p>But Leo doesn’t, slightly more aware of his surroundings now and knowing that it's Geri who's touching him. “Is it bad?” he asks, unable to bend and see for himself. He shifts on the sofa and winces. “It really hurts," he adds, although the truth is that *everything* hurts and it's getting harder to figure out which pain is coming from where.</p>
<p>Geri hums again, fingers gently probing at Leo’s ribs. “You’re bruising something awful,” he says, not sounding pleased. “But I'm not sure? I don’t *think* anything is broken.” He pulls Leo’s shirt closed again and holds it together. “I’m going to take you to the hospital after this,” he admits. “You should be going now, we can't until this is all finished. Shit, I’m so sorry, Leo...”</p>
<p>Leo holds his breath. “Do you think…” He looks over at the table again, seeing James is still hard at work and ignoring them. “They have to be finished soon, right? Why is it taking so long? Why can't they just open the vault or whatever?” Then he plunks his head back onto Geri’s shoulder. “Never mind,” he says, too hurt to think. “I don’t care.”</p>
<p>Geri’s quiet for a minute. “They don't want the physical money. That just causes more trouble than its worth because they would have to carry it out and then get it into circulation without being caught. They're hacking the online accounts and transferring it out somewhere else,” he says, angling his body so that he’s protecting Leo with his legs somewhat. “It'll be alright. Just rest for a while.” Then he clucks his tongue. “Actually, fuck,” he says, patting Leo on the knee, “you should probably sit up. If you have a concussion you’re not supposed to sleep. I know that much, at least.”</p>
<p>Leo frowns but obeys, moving slowly and feeling like he's eighty years old as his body protests.</p>
<p>One of the masked men pushes by the others and approaches, and by the stride, somehow Leo can tell that it’s Cris.</p>
<p>Those long legs immediately pause when they catch Leo’s bloodied lip. “Hell,” Cris breathes, kneeling down in front of the couch. “They told me, but I didn’t know…” He reaches out with his gloved hands like he’s going to touch, and the smell of the leather wafting under his nose and so close to his mouth makes Leo yank his head away in panic, close to vomiting.</p>
<p>Geri abruptly shifts Leo and stands up. “Don’t touch him,” he warns, clearly ready to push Cris away if he has to. “Don’t even think about it—gun or no gun I’ll fucking punch you in the face.” He doesn’t sound angry. He sounds deadly serious as he looms over Cris. "Get away from him."</p>
<p>But Cris holds his hands up and stays where he is on the floor. “I’m sorry,” he says, keeping his hands in front of him. “I’m sorry.” He slowly drops them to his sides as Geri sits back down. “I didn’t mean to—,” he starts, pausing like he doesn’t know what to say. "Fuck. I just wanted to see if he was okay. Is he?"</p>
<p>Leo’s twitchy on the couch, realizing that Cris isn’t Perez, but still unable to control his reactions. “Your gloves. The smell,” he whispers, shuddering, wanting to say more, but shaking his head. He gags a few times. He wants to say that it was Cris’ gloves and not Cris touching him. But all he can manage are those words. And he’s not sure Cris is even willing to take his gloves off.</p>
<p>Cris doesn’t move, but he looks down at his hands.</p>
<p>“Maybe it would be better if you left us alone,” Geri says, now that he’s settled back on the couch again. He's careful as he shifts Leo's body against his. He sounds tired as he puts an arm around Leo again and says, “I think that would be best.”</p>
<p>Cris meets Leo’s gaze. “If that’s what’s best,” he says simply. Then he tilts his head. “Is that what you want, darlin’? You want me to go?” And then he surprises Leo. Because he doesn’t wait for Leo to respond and pulls his gloves off slowly, sticking them into one of his back pockets. “You want me to leave you alone?”</p>
<p>Leo’s hurting and confused and not sure what he wants anymore. And when Cris raises his hand this time, no longer covered by the leather and smelling only of clean skin, Leo doesn’t move away. He lets Cris gently thumb his lip.</p>
<p>Cris’ eyes aren't crinkling at the edges. “I’m so sorry, darlin’. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here.” He slides his hand up to cup Leo’s cheek, thumb now smoothing across his cheekbone. Still careful, still gentle, telegraphing his every move in case Leo wants to pull away. “I'm so sorry that happened to you. It won’t happen again. Nothing will happen to you,” he promises. “You won’t get hurt again. Not by any of us, okay?”</p>
<p>Leo tries not to lean into his touch, but he wants to. It actually feels good--the warmth of Cris' hand against his face. “You can’t promise that,” he whispers, tongue touching his lip and still tasting blood. “You can’t. You promised that before and Luis got hurt—,” he says, starting to get worked up and blinking back the tears that are stinging his eyes.</p>
<p>“Leo,” Cris says calmly, cutting him off before he can get worked up. And when Leo quiets, Cris is quiet then too, but he keeps his hand where it is. He keeps his eyes on Leo’s. “I’m promising it right now,” he says firmly. “I’m many things, but I’m not a liar. And I swear to you, you won’t get hurt again. I give you my word.”</p>
<p>“Which means nothing,” Geri mutters, arm still around Leo, body tense now that Cris is touching Leo too.</p>
<p>Cris pulls his hand back and stays on his knees in front of them. “My word,” he repeats, putting his hand out again, but this time resting it on Leo’s knee. His eyes look pained. “It’s all I can offer,” he says, his other hand gesturing toward himself.</p>
<p>His gun is securely in the holster under his arm, and it glints in the light.</p>
<p>Leo should be scared of it. Of it and of Cris. Especially after what just happened. But for some reason, he isn’t. That was Perez…</p>
<p>This? This is just Cris.</p>
<p>So Leo nods where he’s still cuddled up to Geri. “Okay,” he says faintly. Maybe it’s the way his head is pounding, or the pain in his side, or the numbness in his lip… He doesn’t know why he reacts the way he does. And later when he thinks back on it, he still won’t know why he says what he says. But for some reason, he believes Cris. “I’ll hold you to that,” he mumbles, tongue poking his lip in irritation as the words come out garbled.</p>
<p>Cris’ head tilts to the side. “You do that, darlin’,” he says. He turns his gaze to Geri, looking like he wants to say something. But in the end, he just nods.</p>
<p>Leo’s not sure, but he thinks Geri nods back.</p>
<p>Then Cris stands up and goes back to the table where James is. “Where we at?” he asks briskly, apparently all business again. He clamps a hand onto James’ shoulder when the other man doesn’t answer him, too engrossed in whatever’s on the screen. James still doesn’t answer, tapping away at the keys on his laptop. “Great,” Cris says sarcastically.</p>
<p>There’s a whistle from the doorway and one of the bank robbers raises a hand.</p>
<p>Cris walks over to join him and they whisper for a moment. Whatever is said makes Cris jerk his head back in surprise. Then Cris nods and walks back with intent over to Leo and Geri. “Alright,” he says, offering a hand down to Leo. “Up you come. I need you both to come with me right now. We're going to move you out of here.”</p>
<p>Leo is wobbly, but he puts his hand out to take Cris’. The action makes him hiss as his ribs twinge, and Geri immediately takes his other hand.</p>
<p>“Easy,” Geri warns, more or less taking all of his weight and helping him stand. Cris helps too, and between the two of them, they get Leo on his feet. Their arms are under his elbows and they take a staggering step.</p>
<p>Leo holds back another gasp of pain, leaning against them as he clutches his ripped shirt together. The reminder that it was torn, makes him shiver, and no matter how hard he tries, he can’t stop trembling. “Where are we going?” he chokes out, hand shaking against his chest. "I feel like I need to sit down again."</p>
<p>“Someone tripped an alarm,” Cris reveals quietly. “We were nearly done, anyway. James is almost through the last bit of security. So you’ll be happy to hear that we’re headed out and this is almost over. Just bear with me for a little longer.” While Leo’s processing that, Cris sighs. “Hold him, will you?”</p>
<p>Leo is confused, but Geri supports him. “Got him.”</p>
<p>Cris strips off his holster and moves his gun to one at his ankle. Then he unzips his black jacket. “Here,” he says gruffly, putting it around Leo. This involves dexterity as he works with Geri to get Leo's arms into the sleeves without letting Leo drop to the floor.</p>
<p>Leo’s wondering if he should protest, but he's immediately warmer as he's wrapped into the coat. “What?” he asks, still dazed. But he stops shivering, his body fooled by the change in temperature. “Why?” He turns his face into the collar and ducks his nose into the lining. He's thankful it's not leather because otherwise, he doesn't think he'd be able to deal with it. Instead, it's soft, fleece-like. "Oh. Thank you?"</p>
<p>It smells really good.</p>
<p>Cris and Geri finish maneuvering it around Leo and when Leo’s fully in it, Cris zips him up. “You're welcome. And because you need it,” Cris replies, trying to roll the sleeves up so that Leo’s hands can be seen. The difference in their sizes is clearly evident with Leo swimming in the coat. “Now, Leo, you’re going to come with me,” Cris says to Leo.</p>
<p>“And me?” Geri says, sounding annoyed, hand under Leo’s elbow.</p>
<p>“With Sese,” Cris says, replacing both his holster and his gun, as Geri splutters. “I’ll protect him,” Cris says once he’s finished. “You know I will. I promised. All I'm gonna do is keep him with me until I need to leave. Nobody else will be with us and he'll be perfectly safe.”</p>
<p>Whatever Geri wants to say is cut off as Cris hands Geri off to another man in the doorway. “Your team is exit A,” Cris says grimly. “Gaz’s is exit B, and I’m at C.” He looks down at his watch. “You know the drill,” he says, receiving a nod from the one who must be Sese. “Try to get James moving, too,” he adds, with a look back at the man still sitting at the table. "Can't risk getting caught."</p>
<p>Sese takes Geri’s arm. “Gotcha.”</p>
<p>And then Leo’s being taken down the corridor again. He’s barely able to catch a glimpse of Dani and Ney in another room before Cris’ leading him to the stairs. “I thought you were leaving,” Leo says, as Cris gestures for him to hold onto the railing. "Why go this way?" He obeys cautiously, using it to hold himself up as Cris pulls the door to the stairwell shut behind them.</p>
<p>“We are,” Cris mutters, helping Leo down the steps to the lower level. And they continue down another round of steps. And then a third flight. It's slow going, both with the darkness around them and Leo's ability to descend the stairs. Once they run out of steps, Cris exits the stairwell. There's a hallway that goes both ways, but he looks squints at his watch again before choosing the left. “Come on,” he says, steering Leo along, letting Leo hold onto the wall as they go.</p>
<p>Leo’s never been down in this part before, and as they continue into the darkness, he’s pretty sure there’s no good reason he ever would. He'd never explored the lower floors and just assumed this far down was all storage. Apparently not. The air starts to get warmer, while the brick walls get wet and smell like sewage. Leo tries to focus on breathing in through his mouth—a task which is made harder by his aching ribs. The hallway gets narrower too, with large pipes on either side protruding down into their headspace. Leo doesn’t have to duck, thankfully, but Cris does and he curses slightly.</p>
<p>Finally, they come to a large door at the end. Leo thinks it must be some sort of old emergency exit. It is partially hidden by a stack of old plastic crates that are covered with faded lettering and dust. But it’s definitely a way out. Frankly, he didn’t know it existed, and he’s wondering how Cris knew about it. It’s poorly boarded up with rotting wood and rusting nails--some of which are sticking out of the doorframe dangerously--and Leo leans against one of the damp walls and stares at it. “I don’t have to go through that, do I?” he asks wearily.</p>
<p>“No, darlin’. Not you. Just me,” Cris says, sounding amused. He looks down at his watch again, the numbers brightening their space a little. “This is where we’ll part,” Cris explains, looking at Leo seriously then. “After everyone else on my team is out, I’ll get the signal to leave. And you can make your way back up to the top, okay? The same way we came down. Remember? Hallway and then the stairs up to the main level. Your friends will be there, and they’ll take care of you after that. The police too, by that point, probably.”</p>
<p>Leo stares at him. “What was even the point of bringing me down here, then?” He doesn’t keep the annoyance and pain out of his voice and presses against his side with one hand again. “Why couldn’t I stay with Geri?” He’s hurting desperately, trying to keep from collapsing completely. Any second now and he's going to have to sit. "You made me--? For nothing."</p>
<p>Cris stays calm, leaning against the wall himself. The dampness must seep into his black shirt, but he doesn’t seem to care. “Look Leo,” he says, scratching at his jaw through the mask, “I told you. This is just business. Once I’ve got the okay, then I’ll go. But until then, this is what we have to do. I stick to the plan. And the plan says that I keep ahold of you as my hostage until it's time for me to take my exit.”</p>
<p>Leo finally slides down to the ground, his legs tired of holding him. It's slow, with him being unable to bend, as he keeps his upper body as straight as he can. The ground is cold even if the air is warm, and obviously made of cement. He wishes Cris' coat was longer to help protect him from the chill of it. He props himself up against the wall. “I keep forgetting somehow,” he says quietly, fingering his fat lip gently. “It’s stupid,” he adds faintly.</p>
<p>Cris sighs. “What is?” he asks, moving to sit beside Leo. His legs stretch out in front of him, combat boots easily touching the opposite wall. His thighs are warm where they're pressed against Leo's.</p>
<p>“This. This is stupid,” Leo says as he looks down at his own feet. His dress shoes are probably going to be ruined, along with his dress pants, but at this point, what does it matter. He won’t need them after this. And even if he did, he'd probably throw them out to try to rid himself of the memory of this day. The shirt is already a lost cause. “I keep forgetting who you are, and what you’ve done, and how you’ve probably ruined everything.”</p>
<p>What does anything matter?</p>
<p>“They’re just going to fire us all, you know,” Leo says, turning to look at Cris. It’s too dark to see much of him, but there’s some light reflecting off his eyes. “Maybe you don’t care about what happens after you leave, but that’s routine after a robbery, you know.” He doesn’t see a change in Cris’ expression so he looks out into the darkness instead. “They say it’s to give us time off, to make changes to prevent this sort of thing from happening again, but everybody in the business knows they do it. Easier to just hire new people.”</p>
<p>“Surely you can get a new job,” Cris says slowly as if this isn’t such a big deal.</p>
<p>“Oh, can I?” Leo asks, hearing the tinge of sarcasm in his own voice. His heel slides on something gross as he shifts. “I didn’t realize that you knew everything about me? About how I tried for months and months to get a job, and it was only when Geri pulled strings for me here that I managed to get an interview? About how I have massive student loans that I’m trying to pay off? About how my apartment is a shit hole, but I need to pay my rent, and if I lose my job here, I’m fucked?”</p>
<p>He *aches* everywhere.</p>
<p>“They’re not going to fire you, Leo,” Cris says then, amused again. “And even if you do, I’m sure you can get a job at another bank. It’s not a big deal.”</p>
<p>“You have no fucking clue,” Leo says then, head pounding. “You have no idea how what you do changes everyone involved.” He thinks of the way Neymar was crying, thinks of Luis bleeding onto the floor, thinks of the way Perez touched him. He still doesn't know what happened to Lucho. “Do you really think that all of us will be okay after this? Is that what you really think?” he asks incredulously. “You’re a fucking idiot. We're all probably going to need therapy. If we can afford it.”</p>
<p>His lungs protest the length of this speech, the sharp pain shooting through him again as he has a coughing fit.</p>
<p>Cris is quiet after that, with the sound of the pipes gurgling being the only sound other than their breathing.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Cris eventually says, so quietly that Leo nearly doesn’t hear it. “I’m sorry that this happened to you, that we’ve done this to you.” He sighs, tilting his head back to rest against the wall too. “You’re right, is that what you want me to say? We don’t think about you, we don’t think about what we leave behind, what kind of ripple effect there is. We can't afford to do that every time we hit a place.”</p>
<p>It doesn’t placate Leo any.</p>
<p>“It’s just about the money, Leo,” Cris continues. “That’s all there is to it. It’s money and information, and that’s what we do. I’m sorry.” He lets out a long sigh. “I—I don’t know what else to say…” he says, and then clucks his tongue as if he comes to a decision. “I was like you once. With money troubles,” he admits.</p>
<p>Leo turns his head. “With school loans?”</p>
<p>Cris laughs but it is humorless as opposed to jovial. “Loans. Debt. Family problems. My dad was an alcoholic and that's where the money went. When he died, I had to support my family.” He shifts on the ground, tone tinged with uncomfortable sadness, and he's all of a sudden restless. “But I needed so much more money than I had... My ma, my sisters... I needed to do something. So I just took a different kind of job, you see? I did what I had to.”</p>
<p>Leo’s fingers rub at his side again, thinking about Cris having a family. “James said some of you were normal, good guys. I don’t know that I believed him.” He shivers slightly. Despite the jacket, some of the cold from the wall is starting to hit him. “Said you liked football even," he wheezes.</p>
<p>Cris hums. “I do. Watch Real Madrid any chance I can. I've never been to the stadium, but I hope to go one day soon,” he says quietly. “I love football. I think, if I could have done things differently, that’s what I would be doing with my life.” He looks at Leo. “There was a scout once when I was younger," he confides. "But there wasn't money to send me away to camp, and I had to let the dream go. I still play a bit when I can… And I think, your picture on that guy's phone? You do, too?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Leo says, thinking of how happy he is when he’s outside with a ball. He rubs his head to try to ease the throbbing headache. “I was too little to pursue it professionally. But they always said I was good… I think if I’d been bigger… I would have played too.” There had been his health issues, but it was really a money issue too, and he doesn’t say it but he thinks Cris can tell.</p>
<p>"Maybe we would have played each other. Or gone to a game together," Cris ventures. He turns to stare at the wall across from them, sighing. "In a different world."</p>
<p>Leo doesn't answer. His arms cross over his stomach, near hugging himself as his ribs sharply remind him they're hurt *yet again*. His breath hisses out between his teeth, and he focuses on taking smaller breaths as a result. In and out, in and out, in and out. It's why he's not really paying attention when Cris gets to his feet.</p>
<p>Cris towers over him, but all he does is start pulling the leather gloves out of his pocket and putting them back on. Then he walks over to the door and gets to clearing a path. The crates are set to the side and he starts dealing with the wooden planks. It's slow going and clearly difficult work, as Cris grunts and heaves each off before tossing them in a pile to clatter next to Leo. One by one they're removed until the entire door is revealed. When he's finished, he twists the knob and heaves his shoulder against it, popping it open with a little effort.</p>
<p>Some sort of draft wafts through the hallway, and Leo can tell that the door opens to yet another hallway. It looks just as dark and dirty as this one but presumably leads to the real exit to the outside.</p>
<p>Leo's glad he doesn't have to go any further.</p>
<p>Cris sighs, standing there, and then turns to look down at Leo. Leo's eyes have adjusted well enough by now to see him clearly, despite the entirely black ensemble. The combat boots shift slightly on the ground, grit scratching underneath his feet and drawing Leo's attention for a few seconds to them and then the gun in the ankle holster. He only looks upward again when he sees movement.</p>
<p>It's Cris removing his gloves.</p>
<p>Cris is pulling on the end of his fingers one by one and tugging the gloves off, clenching them in one fist. The gloves make Leo shiver, tasting phantom leather over his tongue before he snaps out of it. It's why, when Cris squats down next to Leo, Leo barely has time to process the movement. "This is it, darlin'," Cris says, voice soft and filled with something Leo thinks may be regret.</p>
<p>This close, Leo can see the dark eyes peering back at him. The rest of the face is still covered by that black mask, so whatever expression Cris wears is still hidden. Leo wishes he had a mask, himself so that he could hide what's written all over his face. Pain? Embarrassment? Fear? Desperation? But no, it's there, plain as can be for Cris to read. "Goodbye, then, I guess," Leo says shakily.</p>
<p>"Before I leave... you said earlier," Cris starts, before pausing. He shakes his head ruefully, ducking it down and then meeting Leo's eyes again. "Do we part as friends, Leo? Even if we never meet again, will you---?" He stops again, sighing and sitting back on his heels, even though it'll dirty his clothes. "Do you forgive me for this? Will you remember me as just a guy who wanted to play football?"</p>
<p>"Do you need my forgiveness?" Leo asks before he can think it through. The pounding in his head reminds him that it wasn't really Cris who was to blame for his injuries. Perez is the asshole here, not Cris. But it's still very hard for Leo to separate Cris from the other bank robbers.</p>
<p>Cris doesn't say anything. And then, "Need it, no. Want it... yes."</p>
<p>The stupid mask hides so much of his face that Leo can't tell what Cris is thinking. But he hears the hesitancy in Cris' tone. It's unfair, really. That Leo should feel sorry for him at all. Cris is a criminal, after all. One of many--with guns and violence and such inconsideration for everyone who gets in his way. And maybe he's still just playing Leo. "We don't always get what we want, though, do we?" Leo asks wearily in response.</p>
<p>"No," Cris says, sighing again. But then he reaches out and gently smooths his thumb against the skin under Leo's bottom lip. He doesn't quite touch Leo's swollen lip, just brushes underneath it with the lightest of touches. "We don't," he says quietly. He pulls his hand back without doing anything else and turns as if he's going to stand up.</p>
<p>And perhaps it's that quiet acceptance that makes Leo say what he says. "Wait..." And when Cris turns, "Show me. Show me... your face."</p>
<p>Cris raises a hand to the bottom of his mask and then stops. "Why do you... Is this so you can tell the cops what I look like?"</p>
<p>"No," Leo protests, aghast, having not even thought about that possibility at all. The pounding in his head intensifies and gets the feeling he's going to pass out soon. So he sucks in a breath to try to keep it at bay. "I just, I'm not good at this." He gestures between the two of them. "I have enough trouble figuring people out when they're standing right in front of me. But you wearing the mask? I can't... I can't judge your sincerity. If you really are sorry."</p>
<p>Cris fingers the edge of the fabric on his neck but still doesn't remove it. His watch beeps once, and then a second and third time in quicks succession. He doesn't look down at it, keeps his eyes focused on Leo. "And if I--?"</p>
<p>"I want to see you. One time," Leo says. He ignores the pull in his side as he takes a deep breath. "See who you are underneath there."</p>
<p>Cris takes a deep breath too. Then he reaches up with both hands and slowly pushes the mask only halfway up his nose until it is bunching up and revealing smooth, tanned skin and pink lips. There's a beauty mark just over his mouth, on the right side of his face, and Leo has the strongest desire to reach out and touch it with a fingertip.</p>
<p>"I think even just seeing half your face," Leo mutters, "you're still one of the most good looking people I've ever met." Then he stops talking because he cannot believe he just said that, and probably has a concussion. "I mean..." There's an earring glittering in one of Cris' ears and Leo stares at it, feeling dazed again.</p>
<p>The lips break out into a grin. "The feeling's mutual, darlin'," Cris replies, revealing brilliant white teeth. His tongue pokes out the tiniest bit and then he shrugs before Leo can protest. "What the hell." Cris pulls off the mask entirely, running his hand through his hair to fluff it up. Then he combs it with his fingers until it resembles something normal. "And now what do you think?" he asks cockily.</p>
<p>"I think this is some sort of Stockholm syndrome," Leo says, feeling his cheeks get hot as he stares at that gorgeous smile--at the way Cris' hair is tousled into waves he wants to touch. "I shouldn't feel like--..." He licks his lips and then grabs Cris' shirt to jerk him forward. "You know what," he says, while Cris stares at him in surprise, "I don't care. I'm never going to see you again."</p>
<p>Leo pulls Cris forward and then kisses him boldly, but lightly, too shy to press for more even with how daring his words are. But he wants the kiss--deserves the kiss. Truthfully, he's never made the first move ever, but he's pretty sure this is how it goes. His heart is racing now, lips slightly opened against Cris' mouth, and it's just so good! Sweet and soft and everything he's ever wanted.</p>
<p>All he can think about is how it's been a long time since he's had a proper kiss.</p>
<p>A second later, as if reading his mind, Cris deepens the kiss. It goes from sweet and soft to dirty and hard. Leo's pushed back against the wall, and it is only Cris' hand behind his head that protects Leo's skull from cracking dangerously against the brick. A good thing, too, because if he does have a concussion, the last thing he needs is another blow to the head. Leo barely registers this fact, of course, groaning as Cris' slides his tongue by Leo's to search out every corner of his mouth. The kiss is burning hot, wet, and delicious, and Leo can't breathe but he finds that he really, really, doesn't mind.</p>
<p>His bruised lip aches, but this time it's a good ache.</p>
<p>It all ends just as quickly as it began, and Cris rests his forehead against Leo's while they both catch their breath.</p>
<p>Leo thinks they might stay that way forever, huddled together in the damp hallway in the basement of the bank and away from the rest of the world. It's certainly no fairy tale being surrounded by dirt and debris and who knows what else, but neither of them speaks or moves, seemingly content to just remain as they are. And then Cris' watch beeps again, almost warningly, the noise ringing in Leo's ear from where Cris' hand is still cradling his head.</p>
<p>Leo abruptly comes back to reality. He forces himself to loosen his grip on Cris' shirt, and Cris pulls back to look at him.</p>
<p>"Keep the jacket," Cris says, two fingers combing a few dark strands of hair away from Leo's forehead. He studies Leo's face intently for a moment as if he's trying to memorize his features. His hands settle onto Leo's shoulders, warmth soaking through the coat, and he squeezes gently. Then he smiles, his eyes crinkling at the corners--just as he had the very first time when he smiled at Leo. "Goodbye, darlin'."</p>
<p>And he stands, puts his mask back on, walks away, and disappears through the door.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Is it still an epilogue if it's nearly as long as the first chapter? Sure, right?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Leo wakes up his mouth is dry and he has to work to pry his eyelids open. Everything smells funny, like antiseptic, and there's this weird beeping noise above his head. It's slow, monotonous but insistent. It takes him a full minute of looking around at the strange white curtain surround his bed and the machine by his side to realize that he's in the hospital.</p><p>Not in that gross hallway where Cris left him.</p><p>Geri's lightly snoring in an uncomfortable-looking chair next to him, stretched out because his limbs are too long to do anything else.</p><p>A nurse appears out of nowhere, reaching above Leo to push something and make the beeping stop. His name tag reads 'Luka.' The man replaces an empty bag of fluids attached to an IV that Leo hadn't even noticed, carefully inspecting Leo's forearm where the needle is taped afterward. "All good," he says then, moving to the foot of the bed and writing something on a clipboard. "Take a minute to get your bearings."</p><p>This wakes Geri up, who gives a loud snore and then sits up abruptly and groans. "These chairs are shit, man," he says, rubbing at his lower back and then his neck. Something cracks ominously before his gaze travels over to Leo. "You're awake!" he exclaims, shooting to his feet and coming over to take Leo's hand. "They said you'd probably be lucid today, so quick, tell me what day it is and the last thing you remember."</p><p>Leo squints at him. "I don't know what day it is," he says slowly. "Saturday?" he hazards a guess, remembering how they were almost at closing time on Friday when the robbery happened. "And I was... I was down in the bank. Some lower-level I'd never been before. Cris told me to go back up?" Things get foggy then, as he thinks about whether or not he made it up all the stairs to the main lobby. "Did I--?" he asks, confused.</p><p>Geri squeezes his hand. "The emergency services found you. At first, everyone thought maybe you'd been taken with the robbers when they left, but the rest of us had been let go so it didn't really make sense they'd just take you--especially with how hurt you were. I told them you'd gone down below with one guy so that's where they should look. The police did a full sweep of the building, finally, including the lower levels. They found you at the bottom of the stairs."</p><p>Geri takes a breath. "It's Wednesday, by the way."</p><p>"Wednesday?" Leo repeats. "But..."</p><p>"You had a concussion for one thing, but worse, you needed surgery, Leo," Geri says, looking incredibly serious. "There was a rib broken after all. I thought it was just bruised, but--," he shakes his head. "It was bad. You needed some sort of metal band on your chest and you've been on some pretty strong medication ever since."</p><p>Leo looks down at himself, noting the hospital gown, and pulls his hand free from Geri so that he can pat at his chest. He doesn't feel much inside at all, maybe a slight ache, but what he can feel are bandages wrapped around his body and some sort of padding where there shouldn't be any.</p><p>"It's called rib plating," Luka says from where he's still writing on the clipboard. "I'll get the doctor to explain it to you shortly."</p><p>"Whatever," Geri says dismissively. "Who cares what it's called? The point is they needed to go in and crack your fucking chest open and fix the damage that--" He breaks off and closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. "That fucker did to you," he says when he's regained control. "Sorry. Shit, I'm sorry. It really scared me when they brought you up on the stretcher. You were so pale..."</p><p>Leo licks his lips and Geri hands him a small paper cup filled with room temperature water. "Is everyone else okay?" he asks after he has a few sips. He swirls the water in his mouth for a minute before swallowing, trying to get rid of the dry feeling. "Luis? Lucho?" He's half afraid of what happened to them, but he has to know. "Ney and Dani? Are they--?"</p><p>Geri takes the cup back from him and sets it to the side. "You had it the worst, Leo," he says, shaking his head. "Neymar and Dani are fine. A little freaked is all. Luis is beyond pissed off with his broken nose and he's all swollen and bruised," he explains, gesturing toward his face with a frown. "And Lucho is fine, too. They apparently just surprised him when he wasn't looking. Tied him to a chair and he's fine. Unhurt."</p><p>"I'm sorry," Luka interrupts. "But if you're feeling alright?" He waits for Leo to nod. "I'll see if the doctor is free. And in the meantime, the police have been waiting to speak to you and they asked that you answer a few questions as soon as you are able." He looks at Geri pointedly. "And you're not supposed to hear anything about the case until you've given your statement."</p><p>Geri scoffs. "It's not a case, it's our life, okay? And me telling him about our friends isn't going to interfere with whatever they're going to ask him, alright?" But he goes and sits in the chair anyways, obviously getting out of the way. And when the nurse goes to get the police, Geri purses his lips. "I don't know what they think you're going to tell them. You don't know any more than I do."</p><p>Leo blinks at Geri and wonders if that's true. His friend doesn't know that he saw Cris' face. He opens his mouth to mention it, but two detectives choose that moment to enter his room and approach the bed, so he closes it with a click of his teeth.</p><p>"Lionel Andrés Cuccittini Messi?" One man asks. He smiles pleasantly, looking like someone you'd want to have a beer with down at the pub. "I'm Detective Valverde and this is my partner Detective Zidane," he says as he nods to the man next to him. That man looks a little harder, lips pressed together in a firm line. "Now that you're awake, we'd like to ask you a few questions about the events that took place a few days ago at your place of work."</p><p>Geri shifts in his chair and mumbles something darkly that sounds like 'former.'</p><p>"What was that Mr. Piqué?" Zidane asks, but Leo's heart sinks. "You really can't be in here while we're speaking with Mr. Messi, in any case. We explained that to you earlier--that you'd have to vacate the room during the interview."</p><p>"Did they--?" Leo asks, ignoring Zidane for the moment. His hands start balling up in his gown nervously, even though he already knows what Geri is going to say. "Already?"</p><p>"Not yet," Geri says, but his lips twist and Leo knows it isn't good. "They can't yet lay us off yet, because of how much attention the bank is getting in the papers. But... I've had it on good authority that we'll be looking for new jobs next month," he says glumly, looking like he hates to be the bearer of bad news. "I'm sorry, Leo. I've already started putting out feelers. I'll find something for us, I promise."</p><p>Leo sighs and grits his teeth, before directing his gaze back to Zidane and Valverde. "Sorry," he apologizes, forcing himself to let go of his gown and relax. "It's... it's procedure. If you didn't know. I just didn't expect it so soon." He tries to remember how much he has in his savings account and whether his rent is due this week or next... Geri had said it was Wednesday so--</p><p>"I'm sorry to hear it," Valverde says, interrupting Leo's thoughts. "Must be difficult to start looking for new work so soon after what happened. I hope you're secure enough financially in the meantime?" He smiles sympathetically. "Smart kid like you, I'm sure you'll land on your feet."</p><p>"Little hard for him to be job hunting when he's laid up in a hospital bed," Geri interjects. "You noticed how he's recovering from surgery, right? Where they had to stick metal plates in his chest? To fix his broken ribs? Because of being assaulted? By dangerous men who are still out there who knows where, while you're here bothering him."</p><p>"Mr. Piqué," Zidane says strongly. "I will not say it again. You cannot be in here." He takes a step toward Geri and points at the door while he glares. "Do not make me remove you physically from the room or I'll write you up for interfering." He folds his arms. "When we're finished, if the doctors allow it, you're welcome to return. Until then, get lost."</p><p>Geri rolls his eyes, but he stands and looks at Leo. "You okay by yourself?"</p><p>Leo smiles shakily at him. "It's fine," he says, waving his hand and ignoring the way it jerks his IV. "See you in a few."</p><p>When he's gone, Valverde and Zidane start asking him a bunch of routine questions. How long he's been working at the bank, how long his shifts are, how he gets along with his coworkers. They ask him why he was working when it was supposed to be his day off, along with if he noticed anything during the day before the robbery began. After that, they ask for him to describe the timeline of events the best he can, along with details about the robbers.</p><p>"And how many would you say there were?" Zidane asks, writing Leo's answers down in a little notebook.</p><p>"Between 7 to 10?" Leo guesses. "I think at least 7 men, but it was hard because they were all dressed the same and moved around a lot. As I said, I don't know if the ones who were with Geri at the beginning were ones who joined the group, or if they stayed with him the whole time." He rubs his forehead a little, feeling a headache beginning. "There can't have been any more than that."</p><p>"And any other names you remember?" Valverde asks. "You said 'Cap' was the leader, but the one with you was 'Cris' and he seemed to be second in charge." He looks at Zidane's notebook and squints at the writing. "You confirmed that 'James' was the hacker who brought his own laptop. 'Perez' was the muscle. And then there was 'Sese' and 'Gaz,' but you didn't really interact with them."</p><p>Leo tries to remember, but everyone else is a blur of black clothing. "There were a few others, but I'm sorry, I can't think of their names. James did tell me that most of those were nicknames, though, aside from his own name which he said was common enough that he didn't need to change it."</p><p>Zidane nods. "Your coworker, Mr. Alves mentioned some of those, and also that he was secured by a 'Raph' and a 'Keylor,'" he says, looking up at Leo. "Sound familiar?"</p><p>Leo nods, feeling a bit of relief at that. "Yes, definitely, I remember those names now."</p><p>Zidane writes something down in his notebook, nodding again. "Good, good," he says, almost as if to himself. "That would be 8 then... Some different people, but the same core group. Fewer than a normal crew for Los Blancos. But, maybe they're just that good."</p><p>Leo furrows his brow at that, not quite understanding the reference.</p><p>Valverde scratches his jaw. "And so you saw James' face, but you don't remember anything at all about his features?" He looks a bit skeptical. "Nothing at all? Hair color? Eye color? Or how about any details about his laptop?"</p><p>"It was really so quick," Leo says, thinking about how Cris had immediately covered his eyes so he couldn't see. "He had dark hair, I think. It was short... Maybe a beard because the mask was itchy and kept scratching at it?" He rubs at his forehead again. "And no idea about the computer. I'm sorry, I wish I saw more."</p><p>He thinks about telling them about Cris' face. The beauty mark would be at least something for them to go on. He thinks he will--</p><p>Valverde's smiling again as Zidane scribbles something else. "Alright then, well, I think that's about everything...?" He looks at what Zidane's written and then says, "Ah, nearly forgot. Last thing, Mr. Messi. If I was to say to you that this bank robbery was an inside job, what would you think about that?"</p><p>Leo stares at him blankly. "What?"</p><p>"Simply, there are a number of coincidences and details that point to Los Blancos having a man on the inside. We believe that one of the bank's employees either aided these men directly during the robbery in question or set things up in advance so that they were successful," Zidane says with a shrug. He sighs when Leo continues to give him a blank look. "Truthfully, we do not really count you as a probable suspect at this time, but we are going to have to ask you not to leave the country in case we need you for more questioning."</p><p>Leo forgets what he was going to say about Cris.</p><p>He repeats 'not to leave the country' in his head, but still does not understand.</p><p>Leo squints at first Zidane and then Valverde, shaking his head as if to clear it, and then blinking rapidly when nothing changes. "Wait, you think *I* did this?" He holds up his hand where the IV is taped to draw their attention. "Why would I--?" His other hand goes to his chest. "They said they had to put a metal plate in my chest! How could you possibly think--?!" His pulse has started racing and the machine above him starts beeping in a different way than before. "I would never--!"</p><p>Valverde flicks his eyes at the machine in concern and then holds his hands out placatingly. "We're not saying we think you did it," he says quickly, ignoring some commotion that seems to building out in the hallway. "In fact, we dismissed you rather quickly. Despite your desperate financial situation--yes we already knew about that--your injuries were too severe to be some sort of distraction. We find it very unlikely you would have risked your life in that way."</p><p>Zidane closes his notebook and sticks it into his pocket. "Your fellow employees, however, are very much still suspects. For example, Mr. da Silva has incredible credit card debt. And Mr. Alves has some questionable family connections. Though I believe we're looking particularly at Mr. Mascherano--since he conveniently called out sick at the last second and needed you to work in his place." He makes air quotes around the word 'conveniently.' "When we spoke to him, he seemed disinterested in being forthcoming. And money makes people do crazy things, we know."</p><p>"Then, of course, there's Mr. Suárez," Valverde continues. He adjusts the cuffs of his jacket and looks knowingly at Leo. "If one wanted to deflect suspicion, he might have his companions break his nose. Simple enough thing to do, and easy enough to recover from. Painful, yes, but not life-threatening. Bit of a red flag. We're seriously investigating him as well."</p><p>Leo's shaking his head.</p><p>He remembers the way Luis had screamed, remembers the blood pooling around his face as he groaned. "No," Leo whispers, fingers balling up in his hospital gown again. "He wouldn't, he's a nice guy." He trails off thinking about Luis' smile and how he's always been so friendly. And the others? Dani, Ney, Javier!</p><p>They'd always been nice to Leo--never seemed like the type to turn to criminal activity.</p><p>"A nice guy with a bit of a violent background," Zidane adds. "He's had some trouble with the law before--nothing super serious obviously since he was able to get a job at the bank--but it wouldn't surprise me one bit if he was our man. He wasn't very helpful when we questioned him, either. Perhaps he knows we didn't fall for his ruse. But if he's responsible, then we'll prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law."</p><p>"We're aware that you might be friendly with him, but... 300 million might tempt any nice guy," Valverde says to Leo sympathetically. "In case you didn't know. That's how much Los Blancos ended up getting away with. Transferred to overseas accounts and then bounced around so many times until it's no longer possible to track it down. I imagine the inside man would get a pretty decent cut out of that."</p><p>"300 million," Leo mouths, feeling like his heart is in his throat. He could never even imagine having that amount of money in his wildest dreams.</p><p>The machine above Leo's head is still beeping wildly and finally, Luka interrupts them, throwing back the curtain and pushing his way back in over to Leo's side. "You're finished," the nurse says. "You said you were going to ask him a few questions, not nearly give him a heart attack!" He grabs something out of his pocket and then unwraps a syringe from his other, injecting some sort of liquid into Leo's IV. "I mean it," he adds when Valverde and Zidane don't move. "Visiting hours are over and unless you're arresting him you need to leave. Get out."</p><p>In the hubbub, Geri's managed to slink back over to his chair and is staring at the police venomously.</p><p>Zidane walks off without another word, but Valverde holds up a hand apologetically. "Mr. Messi, remember what we said. We'll leave our number at the front desk and if we need to be in touch, you'll be hearing from us. Thank you for your cooperation." He files out after his partner, ignoring the way Luka is muttering under his breath.</p><p>"Just a few questions, my ass," Luka says, pushing a few buttons on the machine and then watching the monitor with Leo's heart rate flashing across it. He doesn't say anything else as the number slowly decreases, but the tense look on his face eventually disappears. Finally, when he's satisfied, he turns to Leo. "Alright, Mr. Messi. A bit of excitement, but no harm done." He glances in Geri's direction and then rolls his eyes. "I'll allow your friend to stay a little while longer since this is the first day you're awake. But it won't be for long. And if this one riles you up too, I'm going to kick him out and not let him in the next time he tries to visit. Got me?"</p><p>Leo takes a few deep breaths and nods in return.</p><p>Geri wisely doesn't say anything provocative.</p><p>Once the nurse is gone and they're alone, Geri stands up again and comes over to Leo's bedside. He eyes the monitor with Leo's heart rate and stares daggers at where he can still see the police in the hallway. "Still okay?"</p><p>Leo focuses on his breathing. "They think one of us did it," he says softly, still unable to believe it. "Why would we? How could they possibly--?" He shakes his head and then rubs his forehead again as if he can alleviate some of his stress. "How fucked up is that?"</p><p>Geri's quiet and he slumps over. "I'm sorry. I should have warned you they were going to ask you about your involvement like that." He sighs and straightens up, frowning at Leo. "It's fucking awful. They should have waited until you were out of the hospital--not attacked you as soon as you were awake. I don't know what tipped them off, but all of a sudden they started going after all of us, trying to get us to confess we had something to do with it." He snorts. "Don't even get me started on how angry Luis is about them telling that guy he was seeing--Phi--about his record."</p><p>"So that was true?" Leo asks hazily.</p><p>"Well, yeah," Geri admits. "The other stuff is true too, like about Ney's credit. And Dani told me his cousins are involved in some real heavy stuff back in Brazil... Drugs, I think. But that doesn't mean any of us is in on it. I think the police know they aren't going to be able to track down the money, so they're looking for someone to take the fall. Easier to blame us than the ones who got away."</p><p>Geri rubs the back of his neck and looks uncomfortable. "Masche's also definitely not part of this, by the way. He's horrified at it all. He's been waiting for you to wake up so that he could apologize for ever asking you to fill in. He brought you flowers and everything," he adds, pointing at the table next to the wall which holds a vase of sunflowers.</p><p>Leo smiles at their bright color and that Masche even thought of buying them. They were just colleagues of course. "Oh, that was nice of him."</p><p>His pulse settles into something normal and he leans against his pillows. He feels like he's been up for hours instead of minutes, and he has to fight to keep his eyes open. As it is, he can't disguise his fatigue and yawns without meaning to. Maybe it's because of the injection the nurse just gave him. "But why would he apologize? That's ridiculous. He couldn't have known what was going to happen."</p><p>"That's what I told him," Geri replies, fingers tapping on the metal guardrail in front of him. "He was really worried about you, too, though. We all were. Luis paid your rent this month when your landlord started sniffing around--you gotta move out of there as soon as you can, by the way, because that guy was a fucking dick."</p><p>Leo's so grateful that he feels tears come to his eyes. He knew Luis couldn't have been responsible for this.</p><p>Geri continues, "And Ney cried every time I told him you were still under anesthesia. Bought you a teddy bear every day from the gift shop." He gestures toward the windowsill behind him, pointing out a row of soft animals that Leo hadn't even noticed. "Quite frankly, I think he's started naming them after Barcelona players."</p><p>Leo sits up so he can see them better and then reaches in the direction of a red and blue one near the end that looks smaller than the others. Of course, they're way too far from him, so Geri hands it to him. Leo's fingers pet the soft fur gently. It certainly feels better than twisting his hands up in his hospital gown again.</p><p>He's touched that Neymar cares so much. He didn't think...</p><p>"And Dani's been hanging around nearly as much as I have. Eating so much shitty hospital food that he's decided you're going to need something better. He snuck in a bunch of contraband chocolate and sweets for you." Geri points over to a big tote bag next to his chair. There's a box of chocolate-covered pretzels poking out of the top, next to a bag of popcorn. Leo thinks he spots some Pepsi, too. "You didn't hear it from me, but there's a jar of dulce de leche down the bottom."</p><p>Leo grips the bear between his hands. "This is... this is too much," he says quietly. "All of you don't need to be doing any of this."</p><p>They were just colleagues, after all. Saw each other during the workday and then went their separate ways after they clocked out. Sure, Geri was his best friend, but the others were just his coworkers.</p><p>Right?</p><p>"We care about you, Leo," Geri says earnestly. "We hate that this happened. And especially that you got hurt." He stops and just grips the metal bar on Leo's bed until his knuckles turn white. "If I could go back... I don't know what I'd do but I'd try to do something differently. Knock that fucker out before he got his hands on you, maybe." His eyes burn with anger that disappears as soon as it flares up.</p><p>Leo clutches at his bear, forcing himself not to think of Perez.</p><p>"Whatever," Geri says. "We care about you. And we know that it's going to be a long road to recovery. So we're going to be there every step of the way, helping out where we can, until you're back to 100 percent." He runs a hand through his hair. "Besides, we're a team, you know? Granted, we're all gonna lose our jobs, but we'll lose them together and support each other as a team should."</p><p>And Geri's telling the truth.</p><p>Because after Leo's released from the hospital, they're all there to make sure he gets home safe. Geri and Luis help him inside carefully, holding his elbows and making sure he doesn't have to bend in any way that's gonna hurt his ribs. Neymar carries all of his stuffed animals and goodies he has leftover from Dani's secret stash. Speaking of Dani, he apparently cleaned Leo's entire apartment while he was gone and the whole thing smells fresh--like a mix of lemon and fabric softener. Masche cooks dinner for them and has already stocked the freezer with empanadas for whenever Leo needs a meal.</p><p>Leo'd forgotten what it felt like to have friends. Sure, he'd had Geri, but that had been it for years. But now...</p><p>He's so happy he's not alone.</p><p>And still, just as they worry about him, he worries about them.</p><p>They treat Leo like glass, but even he can see that none of them remain unscathed from what happened that day in the bank. They're all fragile too, just not in the same way Leo is.</p><p>Leo's got his ribs and also a terrible aversion to leather--he starts gagging the second he smells it. There are certain shoes, belts, and gloves that Geri has to remove from Leo's closet and dispose of for him. And the others are very careful about they wear around him.</p><p>Luis has black eyes and terrible bruising painted across his face and he flinches every time someone's phone vibrates. He doesn't even have his own phone anymore--he got rid of it so he didn't have to hear it. The rest of them keep theirs on silent or only use them when Luis isn't there.</p><p>Neymar is without physical injury, but he, too, gets scared often--especially when someone moves too fast nearby. It doesn't happen a lot, but sometimes he has to go sit with Dani in Leo's bedroom afterward to calm down.</p><p>Dani and Geri don't have the same issues, but they can't hide the guilt they feel for not doing anything to stop the men who hurt their friends. As a result, they're super protective of the whole group. They practically wait on everybody hand and foot, supplying coffee and tea and snacks to whoever needs them.</p><p>And Masche's sad eyes follow Leo everywhere, the decision to call out that day still weighing heavily on him.</p><p>The experience had united them in a way that nobody could have foreseen.</p><p>And though it's terrible, Leo's glad in one way, because the first month of recovery is tough. He struggles with his ribs, having to move more carefully than he ever has in his entire life. Twisting and bending are out of the question, and even normal activities like walking or climbing stairs are now a challenge. It's awhile before he can even get dressed by himself. He becomes breathless at the drop of a hat, or his chest starts to feel tight. That's nothing in comparison to the pain, which is often sharp and piercing and doesn't fade until Leo takes his painkillers.</p><p>His physical therapy is grueling.</p><p>The rest of them start to heal in their own ways after a few weeks. Masche decides to take a cooking class and they all reap the benefits since they get to devour delicious pastries day after day. Dani and Neymar sign up for some sort of dance competition, and while they're not very good, they smile more and more every day. Leo does too, seeing how ludicrous they look. Even Luis improves, seeing a psychologist a few times a week. After that, he seems a lot more peaceful.</p><p>(Leo's considering doing the same for a few reasons... Mostly because he's having trouble sleeping. At night when he closes his eyes, all he can see is Cris.)</p><p>They all take turns taking Leo to physical therapy, rotating every day, and fitting it into their schedule without a problem. He needs them because after the sessions he is completely wiped and basically can't do anything at all.</p><p>The hospital had recommended a great therapist, Toni, who was apparently friends with his old nurse, Luka. Leo gets along great with Toni. The therapist is exceedingly kind and careful with Leo--clearly having been filled in on how Leo's injuries occurred--but he also has Leo on a strict schedule and sets new goals every week.</p><p>After awhile of each of them helping out, Toni suggests that maybe Geri get taken out of the rotation because he's not helping Leo's state of mind and instead is proving to be a distraction. And Toni's right.</p><p>Geri sits there the entire time in a cramped plastic chair and cringes at every single gasp Leo makes during his exercises. He stares at the pained look on Leo's face and that pain is mirrored back on his own face. Even when Leo stifles his noises and purposefully hides his expression to try to be brave, Geri still looks miserable.</p><p>The truth is that as both Leo's best friend and manager, Geri still holds himself responsible for Leo getting hurt more than anyone else. It's ridiculous, and Leo tells Geri that whenever he notices Geri moping around, but Geri refuses to believe anything else.</p><p>But so while the rest of them, including Leo, are on the road to recovery, Geri remains behind.</p><p>And that's why, six weeks after the robbery, when his friend asks Leo to be his roommate and move in with him into a new apartment, Leo says yes. He says yes so that Geri can finally feel like he's making up for what happened. It has nothing to do with the fact that his own apartment is a piece of shit and the landlord is still a dick.</p><p>Or maybe it does.</p><p>In any case, and lucky for them, the reason for Geri's offer is actually because Geri's elderly aunt dies.</p><p>Geri explains this all to Leo after therapy one day, with both of them sitting on the couch eating some of Masche's blueberry muffins. Luis had been Leo's driver and had left to go do errands after wrapping a blanket around Leo and getting Geri to agree to brew some tea. Dani and Ney were at their dance thing. And Masche was working on another batch of muffins in the kitchen.</p><p>"I only remember her from when I was a child," Geri says, chewing slowly so he can savor the flavor. He's not particularly torn up about the death of his great aunt, explaining, "She was a little old lady who believed children should be seen and not heard. I don't think she ever smiled or had a kind word. And she even won the lottery years back. I'm talking a lot of dough. You'd think that would have put her in a better mood."</p><p>Geri's even more shocked the next day when he reveals to them that he's just found out he's come into quite a lot of money.</p><p>"Frankly, I can't believe she saved that much from her winnings. And that she left it to family. Seriously, I'm in disbelief that she even remembered my name in her will," Geri says, apparently dumbfounded as he sits on the couch again. This time everyone is there, and they're eating Masche's snickerdoodle cookies. "But you know what this means, right?" he asks, spraying crumbs everywhere.</p><p>Dani mutters something about the vacuum and Neymar elbows him to behave. Luis covers his mouth to hide his smile.</p><p>"It means you're taking over the grocery bill for the time being I can tell you that," Masche calls from the kitchen. He's bent over a sheet of some other kind of cookies--chocolate chip, Leo hopes--making sure they're all spaced out correctly. "Otherwise there are gonna be a lot fewer desserts next week. I don't have that steady income anymore, you know."</p><p>It should sober them: the fact that they're all going to be unemployed shortly.</p><p>Instead, Geri waves a hand. "Fine, whatever, I'm rolling in it now--of course I'll take care of it," he says dismissively. "But, Leo," he says with a big grin. "I'm getting a bigger and better apartment over by the park. Like, one with a doorman and a parking space and everything. And I need a roommate!" He smiles like he's caught Leo between a rock and hard place. "And you told me that you'd move out of this awful place if you ever got the chance, so... What do you think, huh? Roomies?"</p><p>It's one of the first times in a while that Geri has looked genuinely happy.</p><p>So, as discussed, Leo says yes. Everyone helps lug Leo's meager belongings over to the new place one Saturday, with Geri cursing out Leo's old landlord as they drive away for the final time. Leo finds that he doesn't regret his decision, especially because the new place has luxuries like a dishwasher and a tub, and none of the lights even shock him when he turns them on. It's also a relief to not have to worry about rent for right now--although he's definitely going to start paying some of his share once he gets a new job.</p><p>Except, as it turns out, he *doesn't* need a new job.</p><p>Right about the time they all start expecting their pink slips, the papers get ahold of the story. There's a public outcry about the injustice of traumatized employees being laid off for the bank's incompetent security.</p><p>Some secret source going by the name 'The Saint' apparently knows all about it and they completely throw the bank under the bus.</p><p>They don't use names or have any pictures, but the details of Leo's injuries are leaked and turned into some sob story. The bank's reputation takes a big hit and there are even reporters questioning the legality of the layoffs. It's all over the news every night, with Twitter jumping on the bandwagon and protests at the bank's headquarters growing and growing until the CEO Bartomeu finally announces they're changing their policy.</p><p>So they all get to keep their jobs after all, though they're given a lengthy paid vacation when it's pointed out how all of them are going to need time to deal with the trauma.</p><p>It's a relief to Leo that he'll still be getting his salary and not just living on Geri's generosity.</p><p>Geri with a lot of money isn't much different from Geri without a lot of money, which is a good thing. But he does take the opportunity to splurge a bit at first and he's extremely put out until they all accept his gifts. He doesn't go overboard, but he genuinely wants to help. Along with paying for high-speed Wifi and new MacBooks for all of them, Leo's wardrobe gets a few additions. Leo's holey jeans and worn shoes get upgraded to better quality ones, for example. A formal winter coat gets added to Leo's hook in the closet, along with warm gloves and a cashmere scarf. And for the apartment, Geri also gets a brand new television and some type of excellent viewing package that will allow them to watch all the football they want.</p><p>Leo can't remember the last time he watched an actual Barcelona game on television instead of through a crappy stream on his phone with all sorts of ads in a language he didn't understand.</p><p>He and Geri watch a game one Sunday afternoon together, curled up with blankets and way too many pillows on the very new and very comfortable oversized couch in the tv room. It's so big that they can each sprawl out with their heads at the corners and they still won't have their feet touch.</p><p>Leo loves it.</p><p>But then the announcer says something about Real Madrid's position on the table, and Leo feels himself flashback to that conversation in the lower level of the bank. He must make some sort of sound, some sort of weird inhalation because Geri looks over at him with an arched eyebrow.</p><p>"What'd you choke on your spit or something?" Geri asks. He reaches for his tea on the coffee table and offers it to Leo since Leo had already finished his own cup. "Here."</p><p>Leo waves it away. "No," he says, letting the red and blue uniforms blur on the screen in front of them. "And no thank you. It's just..." He pauses, hands wringing in his blanket as he decides if he really wants to talk about this. In the end, he decides enough time has gone by that maybe he can discuss it without breaking down. "They were Real Madrid fans."</p><p>"Who?" Geri asks, sounding slightly disinterested, putting his teacup down with a clink next to the coaster instead of on it. He settles back into the cushions and pulls his own blanket further up on his lap. "Nobody should be."</p><p>"The--the men who robbed the bank," Leo says. He can feel Geri's head swing toward him, but he keeps looking at the television. "Some of them, at least. James, the hacker guy. He liked them. And... and Cris, too. We talked about it a little. When we were down below."</p><p>Leo's able to keep breathing normally and doesn't feel overly upset, which is a great improvement from how he was a few weeks ago. "And those detectives called them Los Blancos, didn't they? Makes sense that they got the name from the team."</p><p>"Yeah? I knew they talked to you a bit, but you've never seemed like you wanted to have a conversation about it," Geri says slowly. He looks back toward the television too like he's trying to figure out how to be supportive. "No accounting for taste," he says. "Not a big enough clue for the police to find them, though. Real Madrid's a big enough team that they have fans worldwide."</p><p>"True," Leo says. "Who was with you? Did they talk to you?"</p><p>Geri grumbles. "Sese," he says. "And yeah, he never shut up. But it wasn't about anything important. Horses and clothes, mostly. The man had terrible interests."</p><p>Despite the detectives contacting them every once in a while to ask questions they'd already asked--perhaps trying to catch them in a lie--nothing seems to be happening in the case. Valverde had admitted to them finally that they were near having to close it and move onto other things because they didn't have any leads. The bank was big enough that they were insured against their losses and all the clients got reimbursed.</p><p>Leo had never told Valverde or Zidane about...</p><p>"Cris, he showed me his face, you know?" Leo whispers. He doesn't know why he's whispering, but he's afraid to say it any louder. Maybe if he says it louder, then it becomes real. "Before he left."</p><p>Geri turns his head so fast he nearly gives himself whiplash. He raises his eyebrows like he cannot believe what he's hearing. "You never told me that... That seems incredibly stupid of him. Are you sure?" Then, "You were pretty concussed. Maybe you imagined it?"</p><p>Leo shakes his head.</p><p>Geri sounds dubious. "Why would they go through that whole thing with the masks and erasing all evidence of them being there, and then have one of their guys just completely disregard that?" he asks. "I mean, talking with you is one thing... But to actually remove his mask and show himself so that he could be identified?"</p><p>"I asked him to," Leo admits, staring at the game but only seeing the beauty mark above Cris' lip. His finger twitches where it's tangled in his blanket.</p><p>"But you didn't tell the police," Geri says, entirely focused on Leo now. "They would have said... They would have made you sit for a sketch artist, done up some poster of the guy to send out. Added him to the world's most wanted or something. It would have been online for everyone to see." He's quiet. "Instead they're about to give up the case because they have nothing to go on. So you didn't tell them. Why not?"</p><p>Leo looks down at his hands, paying entirely too much attention to the white zigzag pattern on the fabric of the blanket. The truth is, he doesn't exactly have a good reason.</p><p>"I was going to. That day I woke up in the hospital and they talked to me about what happened," Leo explains with a sigh. "But then... Then they started talking about how it was an inside job! And I was just so shocked and frustrated and hurt that they would suspect any of us. So I forgot to tell them." He takes a breath, enjoying how for the first time in two months, his side doesn't feel like it's on fire. "And then, I didn't want to."</p><p>When he closes his eyes at night, he sees Cris.</p><p>But he doesn't see Cris with the black mask and the gun.</p><p>He sees Cris with the crinkling eyes and kind smile.</p><p>"But why, Leo? Why didn't you want to? I would think... after what happened, and especially to you, in particular, you'd want to see these guys all behind bars. Everyone responsible paying for it. Every single one," Geri says in a strange tone. "Aren't you angry that they all got away with it? And don't you think Perez deserves to be punished for what he did? I don't understand why you wouldn't want that too."</p><p>Leo *had* wanted Perez to pay for his actions.</p><p>He'd thought it several times a week: every time Toni tortured him at physical therapy.</p><p>But as the pain eased and Leo began to move easier, his anger started to fade.</p><p>And now two months later, Leo rarely thinks about Perez at all. He's been testing himself, too, without telling the others. He's been stopping into shoe stores and taking a loop around or trying on pairs of gloves at the department store on some of his daily walks. He's been making it part of his routine and now he's over it. His fear of leather has completely subsided. Maybe in the future, he'll flip out if someone sticks a finger in his mouth, but for now, he's doing okay.</p><p>Leo turns and looks at Geri, trying to think of how to explain that.</p><p>In the end, he repeats something that Luis often said around them and clearly learned in therapy. "It's not healthy to carry that much anger around," Leo says softly. "So I started letting it go. It's not so much that I forgive him, or want him to get away with what happened, as that I want to move on with my life, Geri. I made the decision not to care about it anymore. I'm back to my old self."</p><p>Leo shrugs and smiles at Geri. "Well, my old self except now I'm a lot happier because I can take a shower without the hot water running out and I also live with my best friend."</p><p>Geri shoves his blanket off of his lap, along with about the twenty pillows between him and Leo. They all fall harmlessly to the floor. Then he crawls along the cushions until he's at Leo's side and just wraps his arms around him and hugs him tightly. "What a coincidence," Geri says thickly, clearly struggling with his emotions. "I'm a lot happier because I, too, live with my best friend."</p><p>When the hug ends, Geri stays next to Leo instead of going back to his part of the couch. "I guess this is a good time to give you your birthday present," Geri says after he clears his throat a few times. "I was going to wait, but well, with the schedule, I would have had to give it to you early anyway."</p><p>Leo's curious. Geri reaches forward to the stack of books underneath the coffee table and then pulls out a piece of paper that's stuck into one of them. "Schedule of what?" Leo asks.</p><p>Leo takes the paper, confused, and at first, he cannot understand what's happening. But then his eyes bulge out of his head. "Geri," he says faintly, hitting Geri on the arm as though his friend isn't grinning at him. "Geri, this says, this says, are you serious!!" He smacks Geri on the arm harder. "Geri! Oh my fucking god!"</p><p>Geri laughs and playfully bats his hand away. "Yeah. Well, what's the point of having money if you can't buy your bestie an amazing birthday present. My seats are in a box with a bunch of other guys I know, but other than that it's private. And trust me, the view of the pitch is amazing. We are going to have the best time. Especially if Barça wins. I have a good feeling they will this time."</p><p>"But el clásico at the Bernabéu?" Leo asks, eyes wide as saucers. He has to remind himself to breathe so he doesn't pass out. "Geri, this is too much... You shouldn't have." He stares at the ticket some more and tries very hard not to look at how it costs. "Oh my god, Geri. I cannot believe you did this. Thank you so much!"</p><p>Geri cackles deviously.</p><p>He continues to laugh for the next few weeks whenever Leo brings up the game.</p><p>And as they enter the stadium on game day, their red and blue stripes standing out in a sea of white jerseys, Geri laughs some more. Leo rolls his eyes and zips his black jacket almost all the way closed to hide as best he can. There's still some of the Barcelona colors around the neck, but other than that, it does the job.</p><p>The jacket... well, it's still entirely too large for him but it works for this.</p><p>Geri doesn't care about his jersey being shown to the world and he ignores any of the boos and jeers that are directed toward him while they walk. He just jauntily steers Leo through the maze of hallways, toward the appropriate elevator, and then toward their box. As they get closer and closer to the one that's theirs, he does start to calm down. His arm slings around Leo companionably and he tugs him to stop right before they go in. "If you--," Geri starts, pausing as though he doesn't know what he wants to say.</p><p>Something flickers in his eyes and his smile gets a bit tight.</p><p>"It'll be good," Geri eventually says, as Leo begins to fidget under his gaze. "It'll be good," he repeats. "Yes, okay. Here we go." He opens the door and guides Leo inside, hand on the small of Leo's back and fingers moving slightly as if he's nervous.</p><p>There's a chorus of goodnatured whistling at the colors they're wearing by the group inside, but everyone breaks into laughter as soon as Geri tells them to shut up. Most of the men are big hulking things, but they're congregated around a huge table of food and delicately filling tiny little plates. Another cluster is in front of a fridge full of beer and water and other assorted beverages. A few others are seated down by the edge of the box and looking down at the pitch.</p><p>One stylish looking man with tattoos up and down his arms comes over immediately to say hello and holds his hand out to Leo. "This is Sergio," Geri introduces as they shake hands and Leo silently admires the rings the man's wearing. "He tends to laugh at his own jokes, but other than that, I think you'll like him."</p><p>"Good to meet you, Leo," Sergio says with a bright smile, ignoring Geri's jibe. "Gerard's told me so much about you that I feel like I already know you." He has a beer in one hand and gestures toward Leo's jersey peeking out of his jacket. "He warned me ahead of time that you were a cule like him, so I prepared myself to accept you even with your flaws," he jokes, chuckling when Leo blushes. "Maybe if you spend enough time with us you'll come to see the error of your ways."</p><p>"And I think you already know Toni," Geri says, as Leo's physical therapist joins them and Sergio goes off to join those around the food table. "Though you might not have been aware of his team allegiances." He shrugs. "I think he hides them well. I never saw any ugly memorabilia around when we visited his office."</p><p>"Oh!" Leo says, caught off guard, having not even considered that Geri might have known Toni outside of his therapy sessions. Neither had mentioned a friendship. "Geri, you should have told me he was going to be here!" He greets Toni happily, noticing with amusement that Luka's right behind him. "And Luka too! It's good to see you. Wow, what a small world. I forgot you guys knew each other. It's been a while, huh?"</p><p>"A few months," Luka says, shaking his hand. "You look great, Leo. I'm really happy to see it." He smiles kindly. "I hope you don't mind that Toni kept me updated with your progress all this time. I really was glad to hear how well you were doing. It's always gratifying to see your patients make a full recovery."</p><p>Geri looks at Leo in concern, but Leo's not any way bothered by what Luka says.</p><p>"I'm better than ever," Leo says softly to Luka, elbowing Geri a bit to relax. "Thanks to you and Toni and all my friends."</p><p>After that they grab some burgers and beers of their own, settling down in some of the seats in preparation for the game. Leo sits on Geri's left with an empty seat on his other side and wonders who will sit with them.</p><p>Geri doesn't bother to introduce him to anyone else, but Leo's too amazed at the view to care.</p><p>"Wow," Leo says, mesmerized by the green grass and white lines. The lights are shining brilliantly across the field and from here the noise is muted due to the glass, but the crowd is electric and some of the hubbub gets through. Even though he's a Barcelona fan, he can still greatly appreciate what he's seeing. "It's beautiful."</p><p>One of the men sitting in the row in front of them turns around and winks at him. "It's something, isn't it? Everyone's always at a loss for words when they see it for the first time." He has dark hair and a contagious smile, finished off with big eyes. "I mean, I get it," he says as he scratches the stubble along his jaw. "You could never get tired of it in a million years."</p><p>Leo smiles back at him, but... there's something about this man...</p><p>"James, do you want another root beer?" Someone asks from near the fridge. "There's water if you'd prefer?"</p><p>"Are you crazy?" James asks with a grin, "Grab me the root beer." He leans close as if he's confiding in Leo. "I'm a bit of an addict." He looks over Leo's head then and sighs. "You'll never be able to carry all of that by yourself," he calls to his friend, and winking again at Leo, he gets up. "Let me help you."</p><p>Leo's hand clamps onto Geri's arm as the man walks away.</p><p>He knows that voice.</p><p>He knows that face.</p><p>And he knows they match that name.</p><p>"Geri," Leo says, feeling his heart skip a beat. "Geri, I know him." He doesn't move other than that, keeps staring out at the field, and doesn't make a fuss. The lights are no longer beautiful, and instead, they're making his head hurt. "Geri, he's one of the ones... from--from the bank," he says all in a rush like he has to get it out of his lungs before the words get stuck. "The--the--"</p><p>Geri doesn't move either. He puts his other hand over Leo's, thumb smoothing over Leo's knuckles, moving slowly back and forth until they're in time with Leo's heartbeat. "I know, Leo," he says finally. "The hacker guy."</p><p>Leo turns his head, flicking his gaze all over the room, unsettled. He eyes a tall man with his hair up in a bun that's talking to another man with an afro. "What if there's more of them here?" he hisses, fingers tightening on Geri's arm as something terrible occurs to him. "What if Perez is here?"</p><p>Because no matter what he told Geri about being over what happened, he knows that he's still utterly afraid of the man. "Don't let him touch me--," Leo whispers, icy cold fear creeping up his spine. "Please, Geri!"</p><p>"Shhh, Leo," Geri says, rubbing his head against Leo's like a cat would greet another cat. "He's not here, okay. I promise he's not here." He continues trying to calm Leo down, shushing him, and promising everything is going to be okay. And then, "They wouldn't have brought him. They don't work with him anymore."</p><p>Leo remains curled against Geri, his food forgotten, as those words filter through his anxiety. "Okay," he breathes, closing his eyes and trying to remain in control of himself. "Yeah. You're right. Okay."</p><p>Then he realizes what Geri actually said.</p><p>His eyes fly open.</p><p>"If I'm being completely honest with you," Geri continues, "I think they killed him." He keeps his thumb moving over Leo's knuckles. "They didn't tell me, but... Nobody liked him anyway, and he'd been incredibly violent for years. Add to that the fact that what he did to you was unacceptable, and Cap wasn't going to stand for that sort of behavior from anyone on his crew. He didn't when he was in the military and he wasn't going to now either."</p><p>"Weren't you in the army?" Leo asks feebly, having to work to keep his breathing even as he realizes he knows the answer. "In Manchester?"</p><p>"Yeah, a few years right outta school," Geri says. "You remember, right? I was stationed in England for a bit. I was with a great unit. Met Gaz there. We were very lucky to be under Cap. They called him the Saint for how often we miraculously survived enemy fire, which was a good thing since they sent us all over. I forget when I met Sese, I mean Sergio. Maybe Seville?" He pauses as if he's thinking. "Toni was definitely Germany."</p><p>Leo takes a deep breath as pieces fall into place. "Geri, is every member of Los Blancos in this room with us?" he asks hesitantly, making an educated guess that he hopes is incorrect while he thinks about how many giant men are behind him in the box.</p><p>"Well," Geri says, squirming a touch. "Mostly? A few aren't coming. Hard to get everyone together."</p><p>"But Luka? Toni?" Leo asks incredulously, trying to understand as he turns to stare at his friend. "How the hell did they manage that? Wait, were they spying on me or something? Trying to get information?"</p><p>"That wasn't my idea," Geri says, squeezing Leo's hand. "Maybe it started that way at first for them because Luka already worked at the hospital. But then Luka really wanted to make sure you were okay, and it was easy for him to switch shifts and be there to take care of you. And Toni was more than willing to work with you once we all realize you were going to need the therapy."</p><p>"Is everyone involved in my life part of this gang?" Leo asks mutinously. "Don't you dare say Dani or Ney or Luis or Masche?"</p><p>"They're not," Geri reassures him.</p><p>"Thank god," Leo says, slumping slightly.</p><p>"Um, maybe I should mention Zidane, though..." Geri starts, before trailing off.</p><p>"Zidane?!" Leo shouts, sitting up and punching Geri on the shoulder. "That detective? You let him interrogate me as soon as I woke up and he nearly gave me a heart attack! And now you're telling me he already knew everything??" He cannot believe what he's hearing. "What. The. Fucking. Hell. Geri!" he says, hitting Geri harder with every word.</p><p>The chattering in the box quiets, but neither Leo nor Geri really notice.</p><p>"I'm sorry!" Geri yells, catching Leo's hands and preventing Leo from hitting him any more. "I'm sorry, okay?" he says in a lower voice. "I fucking regret so much of what happened... It never should have been like that. So much went wrong. I never would have agreed if I knew what would happen to you. You weren't even supposed to be there. It was supposed to be your day off!"</p><p>Leo feels flushed, everything he knew about that day in the bank is now turned on his head. "Did your aunt even die?" he asks, yanking his hands back and away from Geri. He stares blindly out at the pitch, thoughts whirling as he relives the last few months in a few seconds and questions everything. "Did she really leave you all that money?" he asks with his eyes on the tiny figures running around down on the ground for the pregame warmups.</p><p>Geri exhales loudly. "She died," he says. "But she didn't leave me anything. It was just convenient timing for me to get my share in a way that wouldn't cause anyone to question it. I would have gotten it sometime next year otherwise. When the police stopped paying attention to us." He looks unhappy and that unhappiness is mirrored in his voice. "I'll share it all with you, Leo. With you and our friends. I would have anyway. Even if you never found out the truth."</p><p>"And so all this time... You already knew everything. Everything about the robbers. About their plans. About what they talked about with me. About me and Cris," Leo says, his stomach starting to do somersaults. "Did you all decide that ahead of time? Strategize about how to play someone who already felt worthless and lonely? Did you get a good laugh? Was it all a game?" His eyes are stinging and he blinks rapidly so as to prevent melting down. "Should have known his interest wasn't real..."</p><p>"Leo, I would never--," Geri protests, shaking his head. "I would never use you like that. Like I said, you weren't supposed to be there. We never figured you would be in the plan in any way... And nobody laughed about you... What the hell are you talking about?" Geri asks suddenly. "I don't know anything about a game. What about you and Cristiano?"</p><p>Leo repeats the name in his head.</p><p>Cristiano.</p><p>*Cristiano*.</p><p>"That he kissed me," Leo reveals, blinking again, now unsure what he feels.</p><p>There's excited murmuring from the rest of the room who have been watching this conversation unfold with interest. A few whistles and a wave of laughter. "Go Cris," someone says gleefully.</p><p>"Cristiano fucking kissed you?!" Geri shouts, standing up and letting his entire plate full of food crash to the floor. His foot knocks his beer and the liquid begins to spill down the steps. "No, he conveniently left that out of his report. When? Not... downstairs while you were concussed? Where the fuck is he? I'll kill him!"</p><p>"Technically darlin'," comes a voice from over Leo's shoulder on the other side, "you kissed me. No?"</p><p>Leo feels like time stops. Or rather, it stops for everyone except him. He slowly turns around in his chair to see that Cris is standing at the end of the row behind him, leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. He looks like a model. Like he's posing. It's all so effortless. Leo hadn't noticed him when they came in.</p><p>And he would have.</p><p>It's definitely Cris--the tanned skin, the brilliant white teeth, that damn beauty mark... He's wearing a white Real jersey, just like the others, along with dark jeans and shoes. A diamond stud is in his ear, and he's got a sparkly watch on his wrist that looks incredibly expensive.</p><p>His face though. Leo can't stop staring at his face. He's just as Leo remembers.</p><p>Just as Leo sees every night when he closes his eyes.</p><p>"You kissed me back," Leo whispers, cheeks flushing at the memory. He licks his lips and watches as Cris' gaze goes right to his mouth. "No?"</p><p>Time speeds up as Geri charges toward Cris, and Leo's thankful that Sergio or Sese--whatever his name is--gets there first along with a few others to intercept him. Geri's screaming curses and threats, but Sergio keeps talking in his ear and slowly he calms down. Toni's there too, muttering something to the man with the afro, while Luka is speaking to a stern-looking man watching the fuss with a disgruntled face.</p><p>Cap, maybe, Leo muses.</p><p>He thinks about trying to match up the names he knows with the faces he sees now, but frankly, he has something better to pay attention to right now.</p><p>"So I did," Cris says. "And I regret nothing because I enjoyed it immensely." He walks slowly over to Leo, grinning as he approaches. Then he gestures toward the seat that had been empty when Leo sat down. "Told you I'd get to the stadium sooner rather than later. This seat taken?" He sits and presses his thigh against Leo's, his smile never dimming. "Oh good," he adds as he gently puts an arm around Leo's shoulders and peers down at the pitch. "It's about to start."</p><p>Three things stand out in Leo's mind.</p><p>1. Cris hadn't told Geri.</p><p>2. Apparently he hadn't told anyone.</p><p>3. It wasn't a game to him.</p><p>Maybe the fourth is that Cris is here and still clearly interested in Leo. Not denying the kiss. Showing no shame in sitting with Leo in front of the whole room of people. Of friends. Colleagues.</p><p>Knowing that, Leo makes a decision. He could push Cris away. He could leave the box, call the police, and move out of Geri's apartment. Or, he could stay where he is. He could enjoy the game with Cris by his side and Geri on his other side (once Geri calmed, that is.) And then maybe he could see whether this thing with Cris could become something...</p><p>He hopes he doesn't regret this, but...</p><p>What does he have to lose?</p><p>"Visca Barça," Leo says as a smile starts to spread across his face too. He leans into the embrace, still a bit befuddled that this is all real. But Cris is warm beside him. Warm and solid and entirely not a figment of Leo's imagination. He can hear Geri protesting behind them, but he chooses to let it fade out as he looks forward.</p><p>He's moving on, after all.</p><p>"Hala Madrid," Cris replies automatically, waggling his eyebrows as James returns to his seat in the row in front of them and smiles back at them with obvious glee. "What do you know," he says as he turns to Leo, "maybe we do always get what we want, after all."</p><p>And then, whispered in Leo's ear with lips brushing the lobe, "And darlin', you look real good in my jacket."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>-The thing where they use a bank employee's phone to call a coworker to search for other phones is something I saw in the movie 'Inside Man' (2006). Very clever lol.</p><p>-Fic title is a line from 'Robbery, Assault and Battery' by Genesis</p><p>-'The Saint' is one of Iker Casillas' nicknames.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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